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Summary of Affiliations and Interests: Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness

In accordance with the Health Canada Policy on External Advisory Bodies (2011), all members were asked to disclose affiliations and interests relevant to the mandate of the Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness.

Before every meeting, the Chair, Vice-chair and Executive Secretary will review each member’s declarations in light of the various items on the agenda. Based on this review, they will decide, if necessary, to limit a member’s participation in all or part of the meeting agenda. They will inform the member of this decision.

As well, upon receipt of the meeting agenda, members are expected to review their own affiliations and interests against agenda items and advise the Chair, Vice-chair and Secretariat if they see a potential cause for concern regarding the integrity and objectivity of their participation.

Summaries are provided for each of the Expert Panel members based on the following questions.

  1. Direct Financial Interests
    • Do you, your spouse/partner, or dependent minor child have any direct financial interests that are of relevance to the mandate of the Expert Panel, including current employment, investments in companies, partnerships, equity, royalties, joint ventures, trusts, real property, stocks, shares, or bonds?
  1. Indirect Financial Interests
    1. Within the past five years, have you or your spouse/partner received payment for work done or being done, or financial support, from a party that has an interest in the mandate of the Expert Panel? Include past employment, contracts or consulting, research support, personal education grants, contributions, fellowships, sponsorships, and honoraria for teaching, speaking, or writing engagements.
    2. Within the past five years, have you or your spouse/partner received materials, discounted products, gifts, or other benefits, or attended conferences or meetings where all or part of the travel and accommodation costs were provided by a party that has an interest in the mandate of the Expert Panel?
    3. Within the past five years, have any of the organizations where you or your spouse/partner are currently employed or where you or your spouse/partner participate in internal decision making (that is, as a board member or as an executive or non-executive director) received grants or other funding from a party that has an interest in the mandate of the Expert Panel?
  1. Intellectual Interests
    1. Within the past five years, have you provided any formal advice or opinion to industry; a Canadian federal, provincial, or municipal government; a foreign government; or a non-government organization on a matter of relevance to the mandate of the Expert Panel? Include expert testimony or acting as witness (full or part-time), participation on an advisory body, and so on.
    2. Have you ever made public a statement (speeches, lobbying, and so on) or publicly stated a point of view (including in scientific papers, articles, journals, or other publications, or on websites) on issues of relevance to the Expert Panel’s mandate?
    3. Do you currently have any professional or volunteer affiliations (such as membership in professional/scientific societies, trade associations, lobbying, public interest, or advocacy groups) that may have an interest in the mandate and work of this Expert Panel?
  1. Other
    • Do you or your spouse/partner have any other affiliations and interests or potential circumstances that might give a well-informed member of the public reasonable apprehension or grounds for concern regarding the integrity and objectivity of your participation in this Expert Panel?

Summary of Affiliations and Interests

Name: Mona Gupta, Chair

Member biography

Comments:

  • Was a member of the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel on MAID: Working Group on MAID where a Mental Disorder is the Sole Underlying Medical Condition.
  • Was Chair of the MAID advisory committee for the Association des Médecins Psychiatres du Québec and co-author of its December 2020 discussion paper on assisted dying and mental disorders.
  • Provided expert testimony for the House of Commons and Senate committee hearings on Bill C-7.
  • Provided expert consultation to the Québec Select Committee on the Evolution of the Act Concerning End-of-Life Care.
  • Lead and co-author of several academic papers on the topic of MAID and mental illness.
  • Has issued public statements through editorials, opinion pieces and professional publications.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. Yes
3c. No
Others:
4. No

Name: Rose Carter, Vice-chair

Member biography

Comments:

  • Co-authored several publications on MAID.
  • Council member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and head of the Appeals Committee of the Medical Council of Canada.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. No
3b. Yes
3c. Yes
Others:
4. No

Name: Jennifer A. Chandler

Member biography

Comments:

  • Was a member of the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel on MAID: Working Group on MAID where a Mental Disorder is the Sole Underlying Medical Condition.
  • Member of the Advisory Board to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute for Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction.
  • Has delivered several public and academic presentations on a variety of topics related to MAID.
  • Co-author of several publications related to MAID.
  • Has issued public statements related to MAID through blog postings and media contributions.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. Yes
3c. No
Others:
4. No

Name: Ellen Cohen

Member biography

Comments:

  • Has provided formal advice to governmental and non-governmental associations on MAID.
  • National Coordinator of the National Network for Mental Health.
  • Co-Chair of the Canadian Alliance for Mental Illness and Mental Health.
  • Member of the COVID-19 Disability Advisory Group, which provides advice to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion.
  • Toujours Vivant | Not Dead Yet: member of the committee and supports with organizational development.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. Yes
3c. Yes
Others:
4. No

Name: Justine Dembo

Member biography

Comments:

  • Submitted briefs to support the studies on Bill C-7 undertaken by committees of the House of Commons and Senate; provided expert testimony for the Senate committee hearings on Bill C-7.
  • Has provided expert testimony for legal cases on MAID.
  • Member: Canadian Psychiatric Association Working Group on MAID and Mental Illness.
  • Member: Joint Centre for Bioethics MAID Community of Practice (2016 – current)
  • Lead and co-author of several academic papers on the topic of MAID and mental illness
  • Has issued public statements related to MAID through editorials, opinion pieces and professional publications.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. Yes
3c. Yes
Others:
4. No

Name: Sara Goulet

Member biography

Comments:

  • Has been paid by MB health for services to patients in the province of Manitoba while providing MAID.
  • Participated in roundtable consultations on the formation of Bill C-7 in January and February 2020.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. Yes
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. No
3c. No
Others:
4. No

Name: Karen Hetherington

Member biography

Comments:

  • President of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
  • Provided expert testimony for the Senate committee hearings on Bill C-7, representing the CMHA.
  • Contributed to the CMHA’s policy paper on MAID.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. Yes
3c. Yes
Others:
4. No

Name: Jeffrey Kirby

Member biography

Comments:

  • Made several virtual and written submissions to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs regarding Bill C-7.
  • Has published academic papers on the topic of MAID and Mental Illness.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. Yes
3c. Yes
Others:
4. No

Name: Trevor Morey

Member biography

Comments:

  • Working with the Correctional Service of Canada on a volunteer basis to help develop their palliative care strategy and connections with community health care providers.
  • Has provided opinion in newspapers about providing equitable access to palliative care for structurally vulnerable populations, including people living with mental illness
  • Communications lead for Health Providers Against Poverty a community based advocacy group that aims to eliminate poverty and bring awareness to the health impacts of poverty.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. Yes
3c. Yes
Others:
4. No

Name: Leora Simon

Member biography

Comments:

  • Board Member on the National Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
  • Chair of the National Council for Persons with Lived Experience, an advisory committee to the CMHA National and the Board of Directors.
  • As a member of the National Council of Persons with Lived Experience, has received paid travel, accommodations and registration expenses for CMHA National conferences.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. Yes
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. No
3c. Yes
Others:
4. No

Name: Donna Stewart

Member biography

Comments:

  • Provided expert testimony and briefs to support the Senate committee hearings on Bill C-7.
  • Has published academic papers and presentations on MAID.
  • Has issued public statements related to MAID through media contributions.
  • Member of the following:
    • Canadian Psychiatric Association (including their Working Group on MAID for Mental Illness)
    • Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers (CAMAP)
    • Dying with Dignity
    • University of Toronto, Centre for Bioethics
    • University of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry
    • University Health Network MAID Assessment Team

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. Yes
3c. Yes
Others:
4. No

Name: Cornelia (Nel) Wieman

Member biography

Comments:

  • Has served as the President of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC) since 2016 (volunteer).
  • Provided expert testimony for the Senate committee hearings on Bill C-7, as President of IPAC.
  • Has provided advice to government and non-governmental organizations.

Summary of Responses

Direct financial interests:
1. No
Indirect financial interests:
2a. No
2b. No
2c. No
Intellectual interests:
3a. Yes
3b. No
3c. Yes
Others:
4. No

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