SoCΨ: How we will change the Canadian landscape
Perhaps the most pressing emerging issue requiring thoughtful and evidence-based guidance at the moment is how to navigate Canada’s evolving Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) policies. The issue encompasses the most challenging range of human experiences, including suffering, illness, societal supports and structural inequities, and existential distress to name just a few. Current debate focusses on potentially expanding MAID to provide MAID for sole mental illness conditions in 2024.
Input from national associations to date has unfortunately been inadequate, and has failed to provide critical evidence to inform these policy discussions.
The inaugural Board of Directors of SoCΨ has approved a Briefing Note with Recommendations to help guide policy makers at this juncture. The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) has endorsed the SoCΨ Briefing Note and Recommendations, and SoCΨ is likewise calling on other groups, associations and individuals to endorse our recommendations.
