DisabilityNCT05167981
RETAINWORKS Impact Evaluation
A study testing RETAINWORKS 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 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Disability
- What is being tested?
- RETAINWORKS
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 963 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 22 Oct 2021to 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 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Has a work disability. Work disability is defined as an injury, illness, or medical condition that has the potential to inhibit or prevent continued employment or labor force participation. Work disability exists when an employee is not able to perform their usual work as a result of a health problem
- The work disability (i.e., illness, injury, or medical condition) must impact the participant's employment in one or more of the following ways:
- Participant's ability to attend work;
- Participant's ability to perform work duties;
- Participant's work performance/productivity
- The condition must be a new condition or an exacerbation of a chronic condition that falls into one or more of the following categories:
Show all 17Show fewer
- Musculoskeletal injuries;
- Mental health disorders;
- Chronic diseases such as Diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), or Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) - this list is not all-inclusive;
- Other newly diagnosed illnesses or injuries that affect the individual's employment
- The condition may be acquired from or attributed to either on-the-job (occupational-related) or off-the-job (non-occupational-related) factors
- The participant must meet all the following criteria:
- Be between the ages of 18 and 65 years;
- Be currently employed or seeking employment;
- Either live or work in Kansas;
- Have a valid social security number;
- Be legally authorized to work in the United States
Who cannot join
- May NOT have application for SSDI or SSI benefits pending or already receiving such benefits at the onset of the injury or illness
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: One-Year Impact Evaluation of Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) in Kansas
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 Kansas Department of Commerce's implementation of "RETAINWORKS" 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 Kansas Department of Commerce has partnered with a consortium of medical and business partners to implement "RETAINWORKS" statewide. 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 RETAINWORKS stakeholders about the treatment enrollee returning to work, and monitors the enrollee's medical and employment progress. RETAINWORKS also uses nurse navigators and workforce coordinators to support workplace-based interventions and retain or rehabilitate enrollees. Financial incentives are offered to participants and medical providers for milestone attainment and training achievement.
Kansas recruits participants through referrals from medical providers. After initial intake by a nurse navigator, a workforce coordinator randomly assigns each enrollee to either a treatment group that is eligible to receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities or a control group that is not. The evaluation team then compares the outcomes of the two groups and gathers evidence on how RETAINWORKS 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
- RETAINWORKS
- Keywords
- disability, employment, unemployment
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
RETAINWORKSOther
The experimental group is eligible to receive the full set of RETAINWORKS intervention activities. The program includes a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work (SAW)/return-to-work (RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. Participants receive intensive case management and care coordination by health and employment services RTW navigators. Financial incentives are offered to participants and medical providers for milestone attainment and training achievement.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| RETAIN Programming | Experimental | The experimental group receives the full set of RETAINWORKS intervention activities. Receives: Other: RETAINWORKS |
| Control | No intervention | The control group receives information and referral to partner services. |
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 over the three months 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 over the three months 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 posted22 Dec 2021
- Study start22 Oct 2021
- 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
- 963 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The United States Social Security Administration
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Jill Berk, PhD, Principal investigator, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05167981
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RTN-KS
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Nov 2021
- Last updated
- 12 Aug 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 12 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- One-Year Impact Evaluation of Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) in Kansas
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05167981
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RTN-KS
- Conditions
- Disability
- Keywords
- disability, employment, unemployment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 963 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The United States Social Security Administration
- Study start
- 22 Oct 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 18 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 22 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 Kansas Department of Commerce's implementation of "RETAINWORKS" 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 Kansas Department of Commerce has partnered with a consortium of medical and business partners to implement "RETAINWORKS" statewide. 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 RETAINWORKS stakeholders about the treatment enrollee returning to work, and monitors the enrollee's medical and employment progress. RETAINWORKS also uses nurse navigators and workforce coordinators to support workplace-based interventions and retain or rehabilitate enrollees. Financial incentives are offered to participants and medical providers for milestone attainment and training achievement.
Kansas recruits participants through referrals from medical providers. After initial intake by a nurse navigator, a workforce coordinator randomly assigns each enrollee to either a treatment group that is eligible to receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities or a control group that is not. The evaluation team then compares the outcomes of the two groups and gathers evidence on how RETAINWORKS 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: RETAINWORKSThe experimental group receives the full set of RETAINWORKS intervention activities. |
| Control | No intervention | –The control group receives information and referral to partner services. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (17 listed)
- Has a work disability. Work disability is defined as an injury, illness, or medical condition that has the potential to inhibit or prevent continued employment or labor force participation. Work disability exists when an employee is not able to perform their usual work as a result of a health problem
- The work disability (i.e., illness, injury, or medical condition) must impact the participant's employment in one or more of the following ways:
- The condition must be a new condition or an exacerbation of a chronic condition that falls into one or more of the following categories:
- The condition may be acquired from or attributed to either on-the-job (occupational-related) or off-the-job (non-occupational-related) factors
- The participant must meet all the following criteria:
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- May NOT have application for SSDI or SSI benefits pending or already receiving such benefits at the onset of the injury or illness
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 |
|---|---|---|
| RETAINWORKSThe experimental group is eligible to receive the full set of RETAINWORKS intervention activities. The program includes a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work (SAW)/return-to-work (RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. Participants receive intensive case management and care coordination by health and employment services RTW navigators. Financial incentives are offered to participants and medical providers for milestone attainment and training achievement. | Other | RETAIN Programming |
Primary outcome
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Time frame: Measured over the three months 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 over the three months 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 12 Aug 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 RETAINWORKS 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 17 inclusion and 1 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 12 Aug 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 over the three months 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 12 Aug 2026.