MAID, Medical Assistance In Dying, available in New York State as of 08/05/26

On 07/18/29 I took an online CEU course from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University on “Understanding Medical Aid In Dying: Clinical, Policy, and Caregiver Perspectives.” There are 14 jurisdictions that now allow MAID with New York State’s more recent law taking effect on August 5, 2026. MAID is also legal in Canada and many other countries.

Self administered end of life chemicals is not called “suicide” by people in the field. Terms such as “death with dignity” are preferred. Also, MAID is not euthanasia. Euthanasia is ending life by another and it is illegal in all jurisdictions in the US although allowed in some other countries.

Here is a brief YouTube video about Barbara Goodfriend’s MAID experience on CBS Eye On America broadcast on January 28, 2025.

This the first in a series of article on MAID which will be tagged MAID.

Does availability of mental health services make a difference?

I asked myself  last week what I had to show for my work after 57 years as a Psychiatric Social Worker in New York State. I decided to investigate further and here is part of what I found. New York is ranked as #1 in mental health and well being among all the US states according to Mental Health America in 2025. There are seventeen indicators that are measured to determine these rankings one of which, is “thoughts of suicide in the past year.” New York is ranked third lowest suicide rate in the nation after District of Columbia and New Jersey. 

In my career I have estimated I have done over 15,000 suicide/homicide evaluations most of them in large urban emergency rooms after an attempt was made or the person was bought in with a mental hygiene arrest. How many lives working as part of a mental health system team have been saved? Compared to other states, very many.

The national average suicide rate stands at 13.7 deaths per 100,000 people. However, individual state rates vary dramatically—ranging from a low of 5.7 to a high of 29.7.

In general, the highest rates are concentrated in the Mountain West and Alaska, while the lowest rates are primarily found in the Northeast and California. The rate in New York is 8.3 far below the national average. 

If mental health professionals were to build a mental health system that prevented deaths from suicide what elements in that system would be beneficial to that goal?

The glaring discrepancy in suicide rates is rarely recognized and acknowledged let alone addressed. For example the suicide rates in the worst states: Alaska 29.7, Wyoming 27.8, Montana 26.8, Oregon 20,0 and the best states: New Jersey 6.7, New York 8.1, Massachusetts 8.3, and Rhode Island 8.9 is very significant with the rates in the worst states being three times higher than the best states.

One of the biggest factors in suicide rates is the quality of the infrastructure that supports personal functioning. In other words, does a person have a place to turn when they are down and out? Is there help available? 

Mr. Rogers said that his mother told him, “Freddie, if you are in trouble look for the helpers.” Mental health professionals are a type of helper. The concern is that they are available  to meet needs of ultimate desperation. In some states that are more available than in others. The public health data of suicide rates is one way of measuring the difference their availability makes in the health and life of a population,

New York State has third lowest suicide rate in the US after New Jersey and Massachussetts.

 Based on recent data, the suicide rate in the United States is significantly higher than the homicide rate.

• Suicide Rate: In 2022, the age-adjusted suicide rate was 14.2 per 100,000 people.

• Homicide Rate: In 2023, the homicide rate was 5.9 per 100,000 people. Other data for 2023 shows a rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people.

In terms of total deaths, there are nearly two times as many suicides as homicides in the U.S. For example, in 2022, there were over 49,400 suicides compared to around 24,800 homicides.

In my career as a Psychiatric Social Worker I have done over 15,000 suicide evaluations most of them as a Psychiatric Assignment Officer in urban hospital emergency rooms.

Suicide rates vary greatly by region and other demographic characteristics. Men kill themselves three times more often than women but women attempt suicide three times more often than men. The reason for the discrepancy between suicide death rates is due to the means of the attempt. Men most often use guns while women use ODs and cutting.

New York State consistently has one of the lowest suicide rates in the United States. While the specific ranking can vary slightly depending on the year and the source of the data, New York is typically in the bottom three alongside states like New Jersey and Massachusetts.

For example, according to data from 2021, New York's suicide rate was 7.9 per 100,000 people, placing it among the lowest rates in the country. This is in stark contrast to states with the highest rates, such as Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska, which often have rates three to four times higher.

Suicide rates seem more influenced by the availability of social infrastructure than any other factor. When people are desperate do they have a place to turn? Is there help for what is distressing them so much that they would rather end their lives than go on living. New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts have much better health and human services than other states.

New York, Virginia become first to require mental health education in schools

From CNN on 07/02/18:

On Sunday, New York and Virginia became the first two states to enact laws requiring mental health education in schools.

New York's law updates the health curriculum in elementary, middle and high schools to include material on mental health. Virginia's law mandates that mental health education be incorporated into physical education and health curricula for ninth- and 10th-graders.

For more click here.

To see the New York State laws enacted click here.

Editor's note:

It's hard to believe that it took until 2018, for New York and Virigina to become the first two states in the United States to require mental health education as part of the health education curriculum. 

Every time there's a mass shooting in the U.S, the politicans, funded by the NRA, state that these mass shootings are a mental health issue not a gun issue. However, these same politicians have not taken steps to see to it that the issue is addressed except in New York and Virginia.