Check the Texas program status first
Southern Smoke lists the University of Houston as its Texas university partner. Read the current Behind You page for the Texas status and use its application link. If a waitlist is still shown, ask how applicants receive updates and how to report a changed contact address.
Keep your intended start date as a question for the program. If you already have care arranged, an application to Behind You does not by itself replace that arrangement. Discuss any proposed treatment transition with the treating clinician.
Sources: Southern Smoke: Behind You
Gather the work evidence requested by the application
The current form specifies at least 30 hours of food-and-beverage work weekly for at least six months, with taxable income. Multiple industry roles may count toward the hours. It requests recent paystubs. Recheck the criteria when applying and let Southern Smoke assess your situation.
Before starting, collect legible files that identify the employer, pay period and relevant work information. Make a factual list of each current job and the dates involved. If the records do not show your work clearly, ask the program which alternative evidence it will consider rather than editing a document to make it fit.
Review preferences and the partner handoff
The form asks for counseling preferences and authorization connected with the university-partner referral. It also makes clear that a preference does not guarantee a particular counselor match. Read these items carefully and answer for your actual circumstances.
Keep appointment-format, language and scheduling needs concrete. Review the separate optional story-sharing question on its own terms; it serves a different purpose from the referral authorization. If a permission statement is unclear, ask Southern Smoke to explain it before submitting.
Track the application and university response separately
Keep a copy of any confirmation and note whether the next response should come from Southern Smoke or the university partner. If you need to follow up, identify the date submitted and the outstanding step. Ask for the correct contact rather than sending the entire application again to several offices.
When a partner contacts you, confirm the remaining intake steps, appointment arrangements and terms that apply. An application, a referral and a booked visit are separate milestones. Record which one has actually occurred so a waitlist update is not mistaken for an appointment offer.
Sources: Southern Smoke: Behind You; Southern Smoke: Behind You application
Your next-step checklist
- Recheck Texas waitlist status on the Behind You page.
- Prepare recent paystubs and a factual list of current jobs.
- Read the current work criteria before submitting.
- Review counseling preferences and each authorization separately.
- Keep application, referral and appointment confirmations distinct.
Keep personal, insurance and medical information in the appropriate organization’s approved secure channel.
Common questions
Can I apply while Texas is waitlisted?
On October 14, 2026, the official page says Texas is waitlisted and still accepting applications. Recheck the page for changes and ask the program how updates are sent.
Sources: Southern Smoke: Behind You
Is this the same application as Southern Smoke emergency relief?
No. The counseling form and emergency-relief inquiry address different requests. The Behind You form asks about prior relief applications, but that does not turn it into a hardship-funding application.
Sources and verification
The sources below support the administrative information in this guide. Follow the responsible organization’s current instructions when requirements, forms or contact routes change.
- Southern Smoke: Behind You — checked .
- Southern Smoke: Behind You application — checked .