Currently I have not been able to get the custom status (especially when using Qasic/Jimbo's Stats/Ranks hack), let alone $user_status. I can however, pull the user's info using their profile fields on the Forum Summary. Allow me to explore this and I'll keep you updated as I make progress.
Donate to UBBDev today to help aid in Operational, Server and Script Maintenance, and Development costs.
Please also see our parent organization VNC Web Services if you're in the need of a new UBB.threads Install or Upgrade, Site/Server Migrations, or Security and Coding Services.