DisabilityNCT05146362
Vermont RETAIN Impact Evaluation
A study testing Vermont RETAIN in people with Disability, run by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The Retaining Employment and Talent after Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to improve employment outcomes for individuals who experience injuries or illnesses that put them at risk of exiting… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Disability
- What is being tested?
- Vermont RETAIN
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 798 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Feb 2022to 28 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 18 years or older
- Live or work in Vermont (or if out of work, lives in a border state and plan to work in Vermont)
- Currently employed or actively looking for a job
- Have an injury or illness that is limiting or could limit ability to stay at or return to work
- The injury or illness occurred, flared, or worsened within the past 6 months
Who cannot join
- Has received care of coordination services from RETAIN before
- Has an active SUD that is currently untreated
- Has been out of work for more than 12 weeks due to injury, illness, or flare
- Currently applying for or receiving disability benefits from Social Security Administration
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03756
About this study
Official title: One-Year Impact Evaluation of Vermont Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN)
The Retaining Employment and Talent after Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to improve employment outcomes for individuals who experience injuries or illnesses that put them at risk of exiting the labor force and relying on disability programs and other public supports in the long term. RETAIN projects include a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. This evaluation will focus on the Vermont Department of Labor's implementation of "Vermont RETAIN" statewide. The evaluation will document how the project is implemented, describe enrollees, estimate the project's impacts on enrollees' outcomes, and assess whether the benefits outweigh the costs.
Read the detailed description
The Vermont Department of Labor is partnering with health care, employment, and other entities to implement "Vermont RETAIN." SSA contracted with Mathematica to conduct an independent evaluation of the program. Under the RETAIN model medical providers receive training and incentives to use occupational health best practices. The state agency also coordinates SAW/RTW services for the enrollee, fosters communication among Vermont RETAIN stakeholders about the treatment enrollee returning to work, and monitors the enrollee's medical and employment progress. Providers at participating practices are trained in the Vermont Best Practice Resources and Training, which explains how to identify early and then manage the risk of work disability to help prevent long-term unemployment. Participants undergo a systematic assessment of barriers to work, work goals, and function in order to create a personalized RTW plan; RTW coordinators use a strength-based coaching model and provide care coordination through a customized mobile health app.
Vermont plans to work with 68 primary care practices across the state and enrolls clusters of medical practices to participate in the study. The evaluation team randomly assigns each cluster to either a treatment or control group. Mathematica conducts random assignment of clusters on a rolling basis as Vermont enrolls clusters. Vermont invites eligible individuals who see a medical provider in either the treatment or control group to enroll in the study. Individuals who see a provider that has been randomly assigned to the treatment group and who enroll in the study are considered "treatment group enrollees" and are eligible for Vermont RETAIN services. Individuals who see a provider in the control group and enroll in the study are considered "control group enrollees" and are not eligible for Vermont RETAIN services.
The evaluation team then compares the outcomes of the treatment and control groups and gathers evidence on how RETAIN shaped the outcomes of enrollees who were eligible for its services, regardless of whether they participated in those services. Data sources include enrollment data, surveys, administrative records, program data, and qualitative data.
- Conditions
- Disability
- Being tested
- Vermont RETAIN
- Keywords
- disability, unemployment, employment
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Vermont RETAINOther
RETAIN projects include a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. The evaluation compares the treatment group that is eligible to receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities and a control group that is not.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| RETAIN Programming | Experimental | The experimental group receives the full set of RETAIN intervention activities. Receives: Other: Vermont RETAIN |
| Control | No intervention | This arm receives information about American Job Center services and assistance with opening a JobLink account if an individual doesn't have one. Medical providers at all practices will receive training on how to identify early and then manage the risk of work disability to help prevent long-term unemployment |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment obtained from state unemployment insurance wage records. These files include individual-level wage records for six quarters surrounding enrollment in the study, including the quarter prior to enrollment, the quarter of enrollment, and four post-enrollment quarters.
Measured: Measured in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Enrollee earnings in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Sum of enrollee earnings in the fourth quarter after enrollment obtained from state unemployment insurance wage records. These files include individual-level wage records for six quarters surrounding enrollment in the study, including the quarter prior to enrollment, the quarter of enrollment, and four post-enrollment quarters.
Measured: Measured in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Share of enrollees that applied for SSDI or SSI during the 12 months after enrollment
Share of enrollees that applied for SSDI or SSI during any of the 12 months after enrollment obtained from SSA program data. These files include detailed information about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applications SSDI and SSI awards, SSDI and SSI benefit amounts and enrollee characteristics (for enrollees who have ever applied for SSA program benefits)
Measured: Measured in the 12 months after enrollment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Dec 2021
- Study start1 Feb 2022
- Primary completion18 Aug 2025
- Study completion28 Feb 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for DisabilityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 798 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Social Security Administration
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Jill Berk, PhD, Principal investigator, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05146362
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RTN-VT
- Other IDs
- OD-36366-21-75-4-50
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Nov 2021
- Last updated
- 6 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- One-Year Impact Evaluation of Vermont Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05146362
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RTN-VT
- Conditions
- Disability
- Keywords
- disability, unemployment, employment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 798 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Social Security Administration
- Study start
- 1 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 18 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 6 Dec 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The Retaining Employment and Talent after Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to improve employment outcomes for individuals who experience injuries or illnesses that put them at risk of exiting the labor force and relying on disability programs and other public supports in the long term. RETAIN projects include a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. This evaluation will focus on the Vermont Department of Labor's implementation of "Vermont RETAIN" statewide. The evaluation will document how the project is implemented, describe enrollees, estimate the project's impacts on enrollees' outcomes, and assess whether the benefits outweigh the costs.
Detailed description
The Vermont Department of Labor is partnering with health care, employment, and other entities to implement "Vermont RETAIN." SSA contracted with Mathematica to conduct an independent evaluation of the program. Under the RETAIN model medical providers receive training and incentives to use occupational health best practices. The state agency also coordinates SAW/RTW services for the enrollee, fosters communication among Vermont RETAIN stakeholders about the treatment enrollee returning to work, and monitors the enrollee's medical and employment progress. Providers at participating practices are trained in the Vermont Best Practice Resources and Training, which explains how to identify early and then manage the risk of work disability to help prevent long-term unemployment. Participants undergo a systematic assessment of barriers to work, work goals, and function in order to create a personalized RTW plan; RTW coordinators use a strength-based coaching model and provide care coordination through a customized mobile health app.
Vermont plans to work with 68 primary care practices across the state and enrolls clusters of medical practices to participate in the study. The evaluation team randomly assigns each cluster to either a treatment or control group. Mathematica conducts random assignment of clusters on a rolling basis as Vermont enrolls clusters. Vermont invites eligible individuals who see a medical provider in either the treatment or control group to enroll in the study. Individuals who see a provider that has been randomly assigned to the treatment group and who enroll in the study are considered "treatment group enrollees" and are eligible for Vermont RETAIN services. Individuals who see a provider in the control group and enroll in the study are considered "control group enrollees" and are not eligible for Vermont RETAIN services.
The evaluation team then compares the outcomes of the treatment and control groups and gathers evidence on how RETAIN shaped the outcomes of enrollees who were eligible for its services, regardless of whether they participated in those services. Data sources include enrollment data, surveys, administrative records, program data, and qualitative data.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| RETAIN Programming | Experimental | Other: Vermont RETAINThe experimental group receives the full set of RETAIN intervention activities. |
| Control | No intervention | –This arm receives information about American Job Center services and assistance with opening a JobLink account if an individual doesn't have one. Medical providers at all practices will receive training on how to identify early and then manage the risk of work disability to help prevent long-term unemployment |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 18 years or older
- Live or work in Vermont (or if out of work, lives in a border state and plan to work in Vermont)
- Currently employed or actively looking for a job
- Have an injury or illness that is limiting or could limit ability to stay at or return to work
- The injury or illness occurred, flared, or worsened within the past 6 months
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Has received care of coordination services from RETAIN before
- Has an active SUD that is currently untreated
- Has been out of work for more than 12 weeks due to injury, illness, or flare
- Currently applying for or receiving disability benefits from Social Security Administration
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont RETAINRETAIN projects include a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. The evaluation compares the treatment group that is eligible to receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities and a control group that is not. | Other | RETAIN Programming |
Primary outcome
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Time frame: Measured in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment obtained from state unemployment insurance wage records. These files include individual-level wage records for six quarters surrounding enrollment in the study, including the quarter prior to enrollment, the quarter of enrollment, and four post-enrollment quarters.
Enrollee earnings in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Time frame: Measured in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Sum of enrollee earnings in the fourth quarter after enrollment obtained from state unemployment insurance wage records. These files include individual-level wage records for six quarters surrounding enrollment in the study, including the quarter prior to enrollment, the quarter of enrollment, and four post-enrollment quarters.
Share of enrollees that applied for SSDI or SSI during the 12 months after enrollment
Time frame: Measured in the 12 months after enrollment
Share of enrollees that applied for SSDI or SSI during any of the 12 months after enrollment obtained from SSA program data. These files include detailed information about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applications SSDI and SSI awards, SSDI and SSI benefit amounts and enrollee characteristics (for enrollees who have ever applied for SSA program benefits)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Mar 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jill Berk, PhD principal investigator
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Vermont RETAIN in people with Disability, run by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment (time frame: Measured in the fourth quarter after enrollment). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Mar 2026.