September 13, 2023 | Ottawa, Ontario | Health Canada

Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is a complex and deeply personal issue for many Canadians. The Government of Canada is committed to helping people who meet the eligibility criteria have their MAID application reviewed in a fair, safe and consistent manner, while supporting efforts to protect people who may be vulnerable , including people who suffer from mental illness.

Today, the Honorable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, and the Honorable Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, welcomed the release of the Canadian MAID curriculum developed by the Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers (CAMAP). This program is the first bilingual, nationally accredited training program offered to licensed physicians and nurse practitioners across the country and will help establish a safe and consistent approach to care.

Since its announcement in July 2022, this multi-year project has developed a series of training modules to advise and support clinicians in the assessment of people seeking MAID, including those with mental illness, complex chronic illnesses or who are affected by a structural vulnerability, as well as to assist in the practical application of the legislative framework of the AMM. It will be delivered through a combination of online and in-person learning sessions for interested healthcare practitioners, regardless of their experience level.

This is another step in the work of all levels of government to prepare Canada’s health care system for the expiration of the exclusion from eligibility for MAID for people suffering only from mental illness, March 17, 2024. The Government of Canada will continue to work with the provinces. and Territories (PT) and health partners to support the practice of MAID in Canada, including careful assessment of requests, so that it operates consistently and safely across the country, recognizing the differences between PTs in health care delivery.