Suicide should be respected for those who need it.

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What you sound like you are suggesting is euthanasia for the mentally ill. I personally have a few issues with that. In order for someone to be able to consent to euthanasia, you have to be of sound mind. If you are assessed as mentally ill, are you really of sound mind to make that decision? Obviously, your life is your own to do as you wish, but I certainly don't think I would like to facilitate this kind of thing, especially if I thought the person in question had any chance of getting better. I think you're asking a lot from people when you tell them to respect those wishes because you know this is a very difficult issue for anyone, especially when it comes to the ones you love.

I was suicidal. I'm glad I didn't go through with it, but I understand that people do and we shouldn't think of them any lesser for it.

two days ago someone ended their life by jumping off the building that I work in. (apparently wearing a suit at the time).
Seems to happen at least 3 times a year around the legal district that I work in.

they never release details of who these people were or why they took the step they took.

I think the notion of suicide is something which should be respected. However, I think suicide due to mental illness is not reasonable or acceptable. I feel that in the case of terminal illness where its suicide or another 6 months of pain and suffering perhaps.
Now this is not to say I haven't considered suicide many times and spent long days or weeks contemplating it, planning and even occasionally starting down the path of action. I feel it is too permanent of a solution, although sometimes that is just what I want.
I now feel that finding treatment is by far the best course of action, now treatment is difficult and you need to want it. I've gone through many drugs, and treatments for depression and anxiety. I've gone through a 3 month course of ECT at one point. This was something I regret now, although I'm sure it stemmed the downward spiral I was in possibly preventing suicide. But it was rough, unpleasant and although I underwent it around 5 years ago I still feel that my mind isn't quite as sharp as it was prior to treatment. I know that it was certainly not sharp for a half a year or so following my last treatment, and while going through I felt hazy most of the time. I am still undergoing treatment and still contemplate suicide regularly only occasionally getting through a day where I don't.
Instead of suicide I am wanting to find something that makes me happy, I'm not sure if I'm all the way to happy at any cost, as I appreciate the intellect I have. But some days when push comes to shove I think maybe taking a drug that causes euphoria at the cost of my mind might be reasonable.
I'm 30 now and at 10 or 11 I didn't believe I would see this age and have been winning over my fight with suicidal thoughts for 20 years. Will I make it to 50 yes most likely and if I don't it won't be because I give in to suicide even though it has great powers of seduction.

I generally agree with the OP.

Although, I think that suicide is actually a sort of band aid.

If society were willing to accept it as a process, then why not take it a step further?

What is really needed is a set of alternatives to allow someone to live out their life away from the troubles that led them to being suicidal in the first place.

In the old days there was institutionalization. A horrible solution. Some other societies have had, in the past, de facto communities / zones of hermits, ascetics and others who don't fit in or don't want to fit in. We need something like this more than ever. If such a thing existed, I may decamp now.

The closest thing at this time would be to cash out and buy some land somewhere very desolate. But in the US, living in that sort of rural poverty is not the sort of humane end state I really had in mind here.