Canada Releases Medical Assistance in Dying accredited training program for health professionals

From: Health Canada

News release

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 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.

Today, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, and the Honourable 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 Curriculum is the first nationally accredited, bilingual MAiD education program available to licensed physicians and nurse practitioners across the country and will help achieve a safe and consistent approach to care.

Since being announced in July 2022, this multi-year project has developed 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 practitioners, regardless of their level of experience.

This is another step in the work by all levels of government to prepare Canada’s health care system for the expiry of the exclusion of MAiD eligibility for people suffering solely from a mental illness on March 17, 2024. The Government of Canada will continue working with provinces and territories (PTs), and health partners to support MAiD practice in Canada, including careful assessment of requests, so that it operates in a consistent and safe manner across the country, recognizing PT differences for health care delivery.

Quotes

“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. 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.”

The Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health

“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. 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.”

The Honourable Ya’ara Saks
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health

“The Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers is the leader for the community of professionals that provide MAiD. We maintain this primarily through supporting practitioners of MAiD through education. 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 that effectively.”

Dr. Konia Trouton,
President, Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers and MAiD Practitioner

Quick facts

  • CAMAP will make the modules available to all licensed medical and nurse practitioners at no cost until 2026.

  • On July 7, 2023, the Government of Canada 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 with MAiD.

  • On March 27, 2023, 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 March 9, 2023, Bill C-39 received Royal Assent and immediately came into force. This legislation extended the temporary exclusion of eligibility for persons suffering solely from a mental illness to March 17, 2024.

Contacts

Alexandra Maheux
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
343-575-0890

Alexander Fernandes
Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor
Office of the Honourable Ya’ara Saks
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
and Associate Minister of Health
613-290-0318

Media Relations
Health Canada
613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca

Public Enquiries:
613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709

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