Georgina Mitchell, BA
Substance Prevention & Health Promotion Facilitator

Georgina has been working as part of the Fraser House team since 2000. She really enjoys working with the community and is well known and highly respected amongst students and staff at all of our schools. Georgina has received thousands of thank you notes from students over the years and she has  raised over $100,000 for our community. Georgina’s main message in prevention is to encourage young people to make decisions that lead toward HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND SAFETY and her wish for us all is that we recognize and access our most resilient selves while also remembering that help is easily within reach.

Phil Degagné, BSW
Youth and Family Counsellor

Phil has been with Fraser House since 2008, and working in the field of substance use since 1996. He is a kind and wise man, always keeping up with the latest research and theories to best serve his clients. He speaks fondly of the youth that he meets with and is honoured that they share their stories with him.

Phil is a proud father of 2 great human beings and happily married to a wonderful woman. He loves dogs and sometimes brings his newest pup Mikey to work. We miss his last dog Henry.

Lee Chernoff, MA
Youth and Family Counsellor

Lee began as a counsellor with Fraser House in January 2024.

Lee has been working with youth and their families for over twenty-five years and he has extensive  experience partnering with clients living with mental health challenges. 

 He believes that with gentle support and sincere collaboration, significant change is possible. 

Deborah Bonfield, CAC
Rural Connections Counsellor

Deborah has been a part of the Fraser House team since 1990, and has been the face of our Rural Connections Outreach program since its beginning in 2006.

She has worked across the continuum of care in the field of substance use for 40 years. She has supported and helped many people over this period.

She has created a well-received journaling program that we hope one day becomes published.

Sam Strange
Rural Connections Counsellor

Sam graduated with a master’s in counselling psychology in 2023 during which she interned with Fraser House. She has since joined the Fraser House team as a Rural Connections counsellor.

 Sam brings a wealth of community connections and varied counselling-adjacent experiences to Fraser House. She believes everyone can grow. As a counsellor, it is her goal to support and empower individuals to ease their struggles and cope with life’s challenges in healthy ways. People need a safe, supportive, and confidential relationship free from judgement to express themselves within and Sam works to build this collaboratively with everyone she is privileged to work with.

Tanis Maurice, CCS-AC
Outreach Counsellor

Tanis has recently joined the team as Substance Use Outreach Counsellor; the position itself is funded by the Community Action Initiative (CIA).

Tanis has worked in the field for over 17 years and understands the importance of treating the whole person. Tanis is on the tail end of her Masters's in Global Leadership, holds a Clinical Supervision designation with Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (CACCF) and has her Yoga teacher training with a specialty in addictions. 

Tanis hopes to create pathways for the people in Mission who could not access services otherwise.  

Gaby Ortner
Administrative Assistant

Gaby has been with Fraser House since 2018 as our Administrative Assistant. 

She started her career as a certified dental assistant/ receptionist in Germany. Arriving in Canada in 1981, she and her husband raised three children in the Fraser Valley area.  When Gaby came to Fraser House for her interview she said that she felt that she belonged here. 

Sure enough, Gaby has become an important part of our team.  She refers to Fraser House as her family away from home. 

Gaby is a warm and welcoming presence for all who come to Fraser House. She is deeply appreciated by all of our staff and clients.