But until recently, he hadn’t heard of Southern Smoke Foundation (SSF) or its program to help hospitality workers access mental healthcare. That program, Behind You, launched in 2020 through the University of Houston and is now expanding to North Carolina. While mental health issues are high across the hospitality industry, many workers do not have access to insurance. Latino workers make up roughly 26% of restaurant and food service employees nationally and 43% of restaurant laborers, according to National Restaurant Association data. The tumor was discovered only after she got her first restaurant job with health insurance.