Executive Team

Tina Tew, Executive Director

Tina is guided by a passion for supporting young people and families through adversities relating to trauma, substance-use, family violence, mental wellness, and injustice. She naturally works from a place of unconditional positive regard in both her clinical work as well as in her relationships with colleagues and community members. She is warm, creative, and committed to collaboration. She is grounded in the belief that multidisciplinary teams with diverse experiences, knowledges, perspectives, and worldviews are vital to providing a community with the best services possible.

fir moon steer​, Executive Assistant
​fir moon is a queer, woc, artist, healer, and community organizer. For almost a decade, fir has worked with grassroots community organizations to empower and uplift marginalized folks including survivors, at-risk youth, LGBTQ2S+, folks with diverse abilities, and seniors. Rooted in trauma-informed, intersectional feminist, and anti-oppressive practices, fir moon works alongside folks, not above them, to support self-discovery and reclamation of self. Through her own journey through trauma, fir moon has developed a framework for supporting others to connect to their own inner guide through a process she calls intuitive self healing. In all of her work, fir moon ties together threads of compassion, expression, and creativity to foster opportunities for growth and connection within communities. fir moon is thrilled to be supporting Freedom Quest to continue empowering youth facing complex barriers to develop healthy and fulfilling connections with others and within themselves. In her free time, fir moon can be found in the forest, painting, or exploring the cosmos!

Debra Potter - Financial Coordinator

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Debra may be new to Freedom Quest but she is not new to working in finance. Anything having to do with an agency's financials is what she's happy being involved in. She brings a dedication and strong work ethic to her job. She has been a bookkeeper for over 20 years and it is something she is very passionate about. Her knowledge and skills are key to Freedom Quest being able to achieve its goals. She loves working at Freedom Quest because of the welcoming environment.

Leadership Team

Cindy Cropley - Regional Alcohol & Drug Day Treatment (RADD) Program Coordinator

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Liz Kunkle - Regional Concurrent Disorders Clinician
I am Freedom Quest's Regional Concurrent Disorders Clinician which is a fancy way of saying I drive all over the West Kootenays and Boundary region meeting with young people who have concerns about their substance use and mental health issues. I have had the honour of working with youth and adults for over 30 years.
Since moving to the area in 2014 I have learnt a great deal as I built my home near Nelson. I took up hockey, mountain biking and downhill skiing in the past few years. One is never too old to learn and getting out in nature is the best way I have found, for myself, to combat stress and spike those happy neurotransmitters.
I am into hanging out with friends/family, walking my 3-legged dog (Light-saber), fishing, rock hounding, hiking, biking, skiing, gardening, cooking, travelling, mushroom and fiddlehead hunting.

Matt McClelland - Therapeutic Recreation Programming Coordinator & Castlegar Youth Substance Use Counsellor

Matt began working in the social service industry in 2006. When not at the office, you can find Matt enjoying the local mountain bike trails, or paddling a local river. Matt's current role combines his love of the outdoors with his passion for youth work.  Matt specializes in group facilitation, and brings the unique skill set of having spent many years facilitating therapeutic programming in remote wilderness locations. His strengths-based and client-centred approach practice shine through in the trusting, transformative, and lasting relationships he builds with youth and families. Matt is currently completing his graduate studies in Leadership. 

Mandy Root - Nelson Youth Substance Use Counsellor & Prevention Coordinator

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Samantha Jackson - Residence Coordinator
​With many years of experience in residential care, Samantha is excited to start her new role as a Residential Coordinator. She knows it will be an amazing opportunity to provide youth in the West Kootenay’s with a stable, safe, warm, nonjudgmental, and caring home base. The home is where the day starts and where it ends, and Samantha will do everything she can to ensure youth living in the home feel cared for and happy when they wake and when they go to sleep! 
 
Samantha has been working with youth since 2012 and has had the privilege of working in many diverse roles throughout Canada and beyond. The majority of this work has been with youth aged 13-18 struggling with substance misuse, mental health concerns, sexual exploitation, and criminal involvement. Samantha also has a passion for recreation, especially outdoor recreation, and has been able to bring this into the work she does. She is excited to work with her team to make this a large part of daily life for the youth living in the home. Samantha feels privileged to work in this field and constantly strives to bring this gratitude to her relationships with youth. She sees all of the youth she works with as masters of their own destiny and endeavors to assist them in meeting their goals however she can. 
 
When she’s not at work, you can find Samantha on the side of a mountain, either skiing or mountain biking. Samantha loves to be outside, but also loves spending time indoors reading a good book. She is calm, funny, and comes with lots of fun quirks! 

Staff Team

Holly Hume - Grand Forks Youth Substance Use Counsellor

Engaging, fun, and thought-provoking, Holly enjoys facilitating workshops and creatively assisting Boundary area youth meet their full potential. Previous to joining Freedom Quest, Holly worked with Community Futures Boundary for 10 years as an Employment Counsellor, Workshop Facilitator, and Boundary Youth Success Program Coordinator and Lead Facilitator. Holly completed her Social Work Diploma in Calgary where she worked with various social services agencies with individuals, families and youth. Holly loves the outdoors and incorporating recreation into her work with youth. Holly is passionate about empowering and supporting youth.

Shannon Isaac - Kaslo Youth Substance Use Counsellor
Shannon Isaac was raised in a suburb just north of Montreal, Que. Shannon developed a strong sense of justice at the early age of three, standing in solidarity with her brothers for more free time outside. At the age of eight Shannon made her first headline in the local newspaper for raising the most funds for UNICEF. Once teenage hood arrived, Shannon became devoted to her 12-speed bike and feeling of the wind in her hair. 
Shannon started using alcohol at the age of 12, and spent many years building resilience and facing hardships, and met that rock at the bottom. Shannon has graduated from Selkirk College with a Child & Youth Care Diploma and Mental Health & Addictions Certificate. Her passion for justice and human rights carried on through to winning the Peace & Human Rights award for her work towards women’s rights and freedoms, queer visibility, and eradicating racism, in her graduation year. 
Shannon has cultivated a deep sense of care towards vulnerable youth experiencing any reality of hardship at home or within their peer community. She worked closely with youth dealing with 2SLGBTQ+ identity, special needs, mental health, and substance use. She has worked in the non-profit sector of the Kootenay region for the past 20 years. She continues to adore and support youth in her community. To this day Shannon loves to ride her bike and snowboard in the Koots. She truly believes the human will is to love and shine! ​​

Shannon Udall - Day Treatment Facilitator
In years of working in the social service field and studying social work, Shannon has developed a passion for working with children, youth and families who are struggling with homelessness, poverty, substance use and mental health. Shannon thrives when developing and facilitating creative therapeutic programming and is very excited to join the RADD program!
 
Shannon brings experience in group facilitation and therapeutic outdoor recreation. She values group programming as an opportunity to foster authentic connection, find strength in vulnerability, create community, and have some fun along the way. 
 
Shannon’s practice is guided by honesty, respect, curiosity and social justice.  She has completed a BSW at Western University and an MSW at University of Toronto specializing in social policy.
 
Shannon is eager to experience all of what the West Kootenays have to offer and enjoys snowboarding, white water paddling, and exploring, with a side of board games and crafts in her free time.

Aisha Mulhall - Nakusp Youth Substance Use Counsellor

For the past 10 years Aisha Mulhall has worked with children, youth and families as an art instructor and therapist, behavioural interventionist and education assistant. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, from the University of Waterloo, with a Teaching Specialization involving additional courses in educational sociology and psychology. Building relationships with youth, families and the community has been the building block of Aisha’s work. The kind of work she believes that is built on a foundation of kindness, trust, understanding, respect, and a genuine interest in improving quality of life. Aisha brings her love of art as well as the passion she has always carried in providing support to those in need. She loves living in Nakusp and enjoying all that the Kootenays has to offer in outdoor adventure and vibrant community.

River Jones - Trail/Salmo Youth Substance Use Counsellor

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