The program focused on empowering people, and before this course, Melissa Haswell was the only five-stage-trained person in NSW.

“The program helps families, individuals and even work colleagues recognise their strengths and enables them to work together more effectively,” she said.

“It's all about really recognising your values and what's important to you, because lots of times things are going to happen to you, and take you away from living a life with your values.

“This program helps you remember who you are, and we call that empowerment.”

The program was originally developed by the Aboriginal Education Development Branch who worked on education development for aboriginal people.

"They were people affected by the stolen generation, who came together and started to talk about how they survived that,” she said.

“They became leaders in their own communities and they developed a whole program, and through the years it went to different places like Alice Springs and far north Queensland, and to my knowledge this is the first time it's been delivered in NSW.”

One of the graduates, George Broome, spoke to the group before the certificates were handed out, about what the completion of the program meant to him.

“I think at the start people weren't sure about it, people didn't really know what was going on at the start, but as we kept going through and came to the end, we all sort of realised that this stuff is great,” he said.

“I've found how to better myself and I can see other people in the room have done that for themselves as well. I can't wait to get out there and start delivering what I’ve learned to the community, to show other people they can help each other through the processes, whatever their journey is.”

Weekly groups will be held at AMS for those who wish to get involved in the family well-being program.

Groups begin this Thursday. For more information contact Richard Bamblett on 6962 0000.