After Son's Suicide, Johnston Principal Pushes for Teacher Training

The father of one of two Johnston teens who took their own life last year is pushing for a new law that would require teachers to train in suicide prevention and trauma-informed care.

Brian Carico, who is also the principal at Johnston Middle School, has been working on a bill before the Iowa Legislature that would make the requirement part of teaching license renewal, according to a Des Moines Register report.

“The goal was not and is not to make teachers into counselors,” Carico told the Register. “It’s more about raising awareness. If you can recognize the signs, you can ask questions and you can get people to resources.”

The bill was passed by the Iowa Senate on March 13, and must now gain approval from the Iowa House.

“There are a number of senators and representatives that have been concerned about the lack of resources for mental health care and suicide prevention,” Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, told the Iowa State Daily last week.

Carico lost his son, Cameron Carico, 15, a student at the middle school, to suicide in January 2012. Spenser Nelson, a sophomore at Johnston High School, committed suicide the very next day, a Sunday. The suicides were unrelated.