The appropriateness of organizational positions on assisted suicide

The leaders of many prominent health and mental health organizations have issued policy statements about the appropriateness of members of their professions being involved in assisted suicide, whether assisted suicide is ever an acceptable option for people, and what roles a professional can or should play when a client is considering assisted suicide. This article argues that only the latter focus--providing suggestions about how a professional can assist a person considering hastening death--is appropriate for an organization whose members are clinical practitioners rather than theorists. The former 2 positions, it is contended, are merely political posturing and are counterproductive to providing proper care to clients in need.