Indigenous Wellbriety
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Meet the team at Indigenous Wellbriety

Who we are

TEAM BIOS

Imo Succo, MSW

DIRECTOR


Here's a concise version of your bio:

Imo Succo, a member of the Navajo Nation, was born and raised on the Navajo reservation. She is of the Water Flows Together Clan, born for the Bitter Water Clan; her maternal grandfather is Mountain Cove, and paternal grandfather is Mexican Clan.

Imo is the Founder and Director of Indigenous Wellbriety in Cortez, CO, launched in March 2022. She oversees operations, grant writing, and administration, and also provides one-on-one peer support and facilitates Talking Circles when needed.

Rooted in her Navajo cultural upbringing, education, and professional experience, Imo actively collaborates with local partners and serves on the boards of The Bridge Shelter and Rocky Mountain Health Foundation.

In her free time, she enjoys being with her children and grandchildren, road trips, and live music.


Tess Lynston

Program Coordinator


Tess brings a profound commitment of her personal path of "healing our lineages" to our team, inspired by her mixed Indigenous heritage. This connection to her roots fuels her passion for wholistic well-being, which she views as a seed for empowerment and healing.

In her role with the team, Tess is responsible for implementing programming with the Youth Peer Coaches, as well as leading Community Engagement & Outreach efforts and Promotions & Marketing. 

Tess considers herself a nature steward with a deep respect for the environment. She delights in preparing delicious and nutritious meals, as well as expressing herself through singing, dancing, writing, and creating art. Tess embodies a wholistic approach to life, combining her Indigenous heritage with a passion for spirituality and creativity.

Tess graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts, with an associate degree in Studio Arts & Museum Studies with an emphasis on Native American Contemporary Art.

She curated the art exhibit - Ancestral Homelands: Connection to Land, Space and Time at the Canyon of the Ancients Culture Center 2015. She also holds an associate degree in Wholistic Wellness.

Sammy Antez, Jr.

INDIGENOUS PEER RECOVERY COACH

  

Sammy is a member of the Navajo Nation tribe. Spending most of his summers with his Nali Lady (paternal grandmother) until moving to the Reservation in the middle of middle school years. He is an Indigenous Peer Recovery Coach for Indigenous Wellbriety in Cortez, CO. 


Sammy holds four Wellbriety certifications and a certified Peer Support certificate in substance use and mental health with Colorado Mental Wellness Network. Sammy provides on-on-one peer support, facilitates Talking Circles, assists in sober friendly activities for work, participates in Street Medicine outreach services for unhoused relatives and community events in the surrounding the area. He brings a unique experience with his personal upbringing, addiction recovery path, taking personal interest in the people he helps and shares his personal story that is much similar to the majority of people seeking assistance. Sammy's motivations for his sobriety are his family, team members, elders and community. 

Vacant

INDIGENOUS PEER RECOVERY COACH

  


Howard Yazzie

  INDIGENOUS PEER RECOVERY ELDER


Howard, a member of the Dine Nation, hails from Emmanuel Mission near Sweetwater, Arizona. His ancestry includes Ma’ii Deeshgiizhinii – Áshįįhnii, Táchii’nii, Kinyaa’áanii, and Bit’ahnii clans. Inspired by his own journey with  alcohol addiction post-military service, Howard found purpose in aiding others,  particularly youth, veterans, and their families, through Indigenous Wellbriety. His cultural upbringing instilled wisdom that guides his approach to life,  emphasizing the importance of maintaining cultural teachings. 


Howard's diverse experiences includes serving in the Navy during Vietnam and working in the oil and gas industry to community leadership  roles that enrich his perspective and wisdom as a Native American elder. Through White Bison Trainings, he further honed his skills in supporting individuals dealing with trauma,  substance abuse and mental health disorders by providing Navajo cultural teachings, healing ceremonies and integrating this knowledge into his work with Indigenous Wellbriety Talking Circles. Howard also provides one-on-one peer support to the organization and to the broader communities in the Four Corners region. Howard was nominated and awarded the Hero Award with Red Cross Colorado-Wyoming Chapter in 2022. He is the first Native American to receive this honor in Red Cross Colorado-Wyoming Chapter. 

Vacant

INDIGENOUS PEER RECOVERY COACH for YOUTH


Chelsea Highelk

INDIGENOUS PEER RECOVERY COACH for YOUTH

  

Chelsea is a Wellbriety Talking Circle facilitator, a Certified Orion Peer Recovery Coach, Women’s Group Facilitator, and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. She is a proud member of the Cheyenne River Sioux and Navajo Nation. She is passionate about serving her community as a youth peer coach, using her voice and lived experience to educate, empower, and inspire young people. Committed to prevention and education, she helps youth make informed choices regarding substance misuse and overall well-being. Chelsea is dedicated to teaching valuable tools for emotional intelligence, emphasizing the impact of intergenerational trauma and the importance of holistic wellness through the Wellbriety approach.


Beyond her professional work, Chelsea deeply values personal development and holistic wellness, incorporating body, mind, emotions, heart, and spirit into her practices. She finds joy in her faith, running and walking in nature, reading, nutrition, and cooking. Most importantly, she cherishes time with her children and enjoys traveling to warmer climates.

Vacant

INDIGENOUS PEER ELDER for YOUTH



IWP Board of Advisors

Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk

Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk

Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

 

Regina is a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, currently a Cross-Culture  

Program Manager for Montezuma Land Conservancy and pursuing a Master's in  

Environmental Management with Western Colorado University. Regina has  

experience in information technology and formerly served on the Ute Mountain  

Ute tribal counci

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

 

Regina is a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, currently a Cross-Culture  

Program Manager for Montezuma Land Conservancy and pursuing a Master's in  

Environmental Management with Western Colorado University. Regina has  

experience in information technology and formerly served on the Ute Mountain  

Ute tribal council in an elected position. In addition to her public service, she has  

been on several boards and committees advocating for her passion in  

environmental and Native American cultural issues.

Regina brings insight to the  

program as a community member of Montezuma County and has extensive cultural 

experience as a Native American community member.

James Anderson

Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk

Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk

 ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

 

James is a descendant of an old tribe of Mississippi Band of Choctaws. He has  

experience as a counselor, firefighter, ranger and leading cultural functions such  

as spiritual sweats, community cultural functions and studied human behavior,  

addiction and human disorders. Most of all, James brings lived experience i

 ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

 

James is a descendant of an old tribe of Mississippi Band of Choctaws. He has  

experience as a counselor, firefighter, ranger and leading cultural functions such  

as spiritual sweats, community cultural functions and studied human behavior,  

addiction and human disorders. Most of all, James brings lived experience in  

substance use addiction and shares his journey in recovery and sobriety to Talking  

Circles and sober led activities. 


Roy Tso, LCSW

Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk

Roy Tso, LCSW

 ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER 


Mr. Tso is a member of the Navajo Nation, and lifelong resident of the Four  
Corners region. Roy earned his Masters Degree in Social Work from the Facundo  
Valdez School of Social Work at New Mexico Highlands University. He is presently  
in private practice in Farmington, New Mexico. Mr. Tso is a certified Eye  

 ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER 


Mr. Tso is a member of the Navajo Nation, and lifelong resident of the Four  
Corners region. Roy earned his Masters Degree in Social Work from the Facundo  
Valdez School of Social Work at New Mexico Highlands University. He is presently  
in private practice in Farmington, New Mexico. Mr. Tso is a certified Eye  
Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) practitioner and an EMDR  
consultant.
Roy aims to restore clients to a balanced (Hozho) personal and family (K'é) life. He  
understands that integration of emotional, physical, and spiritual is essential for ​

mental health. Therefore, utilizing evidence-based interventions combined with  
holistic strength-based psychoeducation aides clients in setting and achieving their
goals.


 

Our Creator makes available to us all that we need. It is an honor to go out and gather it. We must remember to say 'Thank You.' It is honorable to give away, to show our gratitude... and to let the children see this.


-Barney Bush, Shawnee Nation, Photo: Imo Succo

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