Fourth and Fifth Step Groups: A New and Growing Self-Help Organization for Underserved Latinos with Substance Use Disorders

This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown self-help organization for Latinos with substance use disorders, known as “4th and 5th Step Group” (in Spanish, Grupo de Cuarto y Quinto Paso, “CQ”). It describes the nature of CQ, aspects of group membership, and members' experiences of the organization. Although findings are preliminary, they provide critical information on a potentially important therapeutic resource. More rigorous research with larger and more diverse samples of Latinos participating in CQ is warranted.