Two Liberal cabinet ministers and a leader for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD providers unveiled an assisted-death training program in Ottawa Wednesday..Minister of Health Mark Holland and Minister of Mental Health Ya'ara Saks welcomed the release of the Canadian MAiD Curriculum developed by the Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers (CAMAP). This curriculum is the first nationally accredited, bilingual MAiD education program available to licenced physicians and nurse practitioners..The project was first announced in July 2022. It includes a series of training modules to advise and support clinicians in assessing persons who request MAiD, including those with mental illness, complex chronic conditions, or who are impacted by structural vulnerability, as well as help with the practical application of the MAiD legislative framework..It will be delivered through a combination of online and in-person learning sessions for interested health professionals..A Health Canada press release announcing the program said it wanted to protect the mentally ill but also offer them assisted deaths..“The Government of Canada is committed to supporting individuals who meet the eligibility criteria to have their MAiD request considered in a fair, safe and consistent manner, while supporting efforts to protect those who may be vulnerable, including persons who suffer from a mental illness,” read the release..Bill C-39, which received Royal Assent March 9, extended the ban on MAiD for persons suffering solely from a mental illness until March 17, 2024. Provincial and federal governments have been making preparations for the upcoming change..To each their own, so long as there is care and compassion, said Holland.."MAiD is a deeply personal and complex decision and every individual's journey is unique. Ensuring that MAiD requests are considered with compassion and carefully assessed in a consistent manner across the country is a top priority for the Government of Canada,” he said..“The important work of the Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers ensures training is available to heath care practitioners across Canada to support MAiD assessments in a fair, safe and consistent manner, including for those persons who suffer solely from a mental illness when it becomes available.".Saks offered similar comments.."Supporting our health care professionals as they prepare for the next phase of MAiD eligibility is essential. Because MAiD is incredibly personal, and complex, it must be treated as such, with compassion and consistency,” she said..“CAMAP's Canadian MAiD Curriculum will be an important tool to help medical and nurse practitioners provide a careful and considered approach to the assessment of requests and, where appropriate, safe implementation of MAiD for people including those living with a mental illness.".On March 27, the Government supported the release of the Model Practice Standard for MAiD and Advice to the Profession to help clinicians align their practice with clear guidance and assist regulators to ensure the protection of the public in the context of complex MAiD cases, including where the person's sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness..On July 7 2023, the federal government announced $560,000 in funding over two years to the University of Alberta to conduct the first comprehensive national review of how MAiD is provided across the country and help better understand individual and family experiences..Dr. Konia Trouton, president of CAMAP, was glad the curriculum has been made available..“The launch of the Canadian MAiD Curriculum (CMC) is a milestone moment for CAMAP and was made possible with the support of more than 100 subject-matter experts. We are the leading voice in the establishment of the highest medical standards for this new field of health care and the CMC allows us to fulfill this role effectively,” she said. .CAMAP will make the modules available to all licensed medical and nurse practitioners at no cost until 2026.
