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.

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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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! ​​

Rosa Culbertson - Castlegar Youth Substance Use Counsellor (Intern)
My name is Rosa Culbertson, I was born and raised on an organic farm in Colorado and moved to Squamish, BC seven years ago to complete my undergraduate degree at Quest University Canada. My self-designed major was, “how does connection facilitate healing?” and thus began a rich educational journey which culminated with my thesis: a qualitative research project on intimacy. I began pursuing my Master’s in Counselling with a specialization in both Clinical Mental Health and School Counselling in 2017 with the primary goal to empower youth to meet their fullest potential. Most of my work so far has focused on girls empowerment, rites of passage, and connecting youth with their natural world. This work has taken the form of creating a coming of age retreat, facilitating youth empowerment camps, leading emotional intelligence workshops, as well as piloting a girls group project in a public elementary school in Colville, WA. I am incredibly excited to work with Freedom Quest for my practicum because it seems like a wonderful opportunity to intentionally combine my passions for counselling, facilitating novel experiences and connecting youth with their community and the outdoors. I have lived in Rossland for the past year and things never cease to bring me joy are: farmer’s markets, creative projects, swimming in cold water, spontaneity, and shivasana pose. I look forward to working with and learning from you all.

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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