ValueOptions' Stamp Out Stigma Initiative Receives Three W3 Awards

NORFOLK, Va., Oct. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Selected among more than 4,000 entries, ValueOptions^®, Inc., a health improvement company specializing in mental and emotional wellbeing and recovery, was honored with three W3 Awards for its Stamp Out Stigma video entry: a Best in Show Award (Video Features, Editing); a Gold Award (Web Video, Documentary/Public Service); and a Silver Award (Web Video, Activism). The videos were made in collaboration with Norfolk-based Sway Creative Labs, who directed the creative efforts.

The W3 Awards are judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts and honor creative excellence in websites, Web video, and online marketing initiatives worldwide. Of the thousands of entries received each year, less than 10 percent are selected for a Gold Award, and only the top 1 percent are honored with Best in Show.

Launched in May as a component of Stamp Out Stigma, a company-wide initiative to promote an open dialogue about mental health and the stigma that keeps many from seeking care necessary for recovery, the winning video compilation features firsthand accounts of ValueOptions employees  whose lives have been impacted by mental illness. Though they vary in age, background and experience—some faced a disorder firsthand, while others supported a loved one—each speaker shares how the stigma of mental illness created a barrier to treatment, and why fostering an open discussion about mental health is a crucial step in encouraging recovery.

"On their own, the Stamp Out Stigma narratives are enormously powerful—our goal was to tell these stories in a way that was just as compelling visually," said Tom Warburton, ValueOptions Vice President, Corporate Communications. "By sharing videos that are this impactful, we have the ability to reach people who may have never considered the prevalence of mental illness and prompt them, as is a key message for the campaign, to 'Talk about it.' Talking openly encourages a more compassionate, constructive approach so that stigma disappears and we get the help we need. We're enormously proud of any awards, but our real victory is in sharing the heart of what we do at ValueOptions each day."

Though one in four of us will experience a mental illness in a given year, less than one-third of Americans will seek help. Stamp Out Stigma was created to change these numbers by educating the public on mental illness and its surrounding stigma; empowering individuals facing a mental health issue with a variety of resources; and lessening the stigma of mental illness by fostering an open dialogue about mental health.

To see the award-winning videos, and for more information on Stamp Out Stigma, please visit www.stampoutstigma.com.

About ValueOptions^®
ValueOptions is a health improvement company that serves more than 32 million individuals. On behalf of employers, health plans and government agencies, we manage innovative programs and solutions that directly address the challenges our health care system faces today. A national leader in the fields of mental and emotional wellbeing, recovery and resilience, employee assistance, and wellness, ValueOptions helps people make the difficult life changes needed to be healthier and more productive. With offices nationwide and a network of more than 130,000 provider locations, ValueOptions helps people take important steps in the right direction. We help them live their lives to the fullest potential. Visit www.valueoptions.com for more information.

About Stamp Out Stigma  
Stamp Out Stigma is an initiative to ensure we remove stigma as a barrier to people seeking the care they need to recover. This initiative commits us all to recognize the high prevalence of mental illness and to reeducate ourselves, friends and family on the truths of mental illness. When we do this, we reduce the stigma. This campaign reminds each of us that we can help transform the dialog on mental health from a whisper to a conversation. Visit www.stampoutstigma.com for more ways to starting talking about mental health.

About Sway Creative Labs
Sway Creative Labs is a full service print, video and online advertising shop made up of a collective of professionals that are dedicated to shaping creative, cost-conscious and fully integrated campaigns for clients in all facets of industry. Sway believes "big ideas" should be revered as such by the "big results" they produce. Learn more at www.madebysway.com.

SOURCE ValueOptions, Inc.