DisabilityNCT05173350
RETAIN Kentucky Impact Evaluation
A study testing RETAIN KY and Active Comparator 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?
- RETAIN KY and Active Comparator
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 3,153 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 18 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
- Individuals who are at risk of exiting the workforce due to non-work-related illness of injury
- Individuals who are employed or have been employed within the last 12 months and made at least $1,000 in one of those months
- Individuals who reside in the Kentucky
- Individuals must not have applied for or be receiving federal disability benefits including SSDI and SSI within the last 5 years
Who cannot join
- Individuals who are do not have a non-work-related illness or injury that puts them at risk of exiting the workforce
- Individuals who unemployed or have not been employed within the last 12 months
- Individuals who have not made at least $1,000 in the past 12 months
- Individuals who do not reside in the Kentucky
- Individuals who have applied for or be receiving federal disability benefits including SSDI and SSI within the last 5 years
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, 40506
About this study
Official title: One-Year Impact Evaluation of Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) Kentucky
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 Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet's implementation of "RETAIN KY" 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
SSA contracted with Mathematica to conduct an independent evaluation of RETAIN Kentucky. 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 RETAIN stakeholders about the treatment enrollee returning to work, and monitors the enrollee's medical and employment progress. RETAIN Kentucky also provides individualized intensive vocational services from RETAIN RTW Coordinators, with an emphasis on assistive technology, universal design, and peer support.
Kentucky uses a multi-method approach toward recruitment that includes referrals from medical providers, employers, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, workforce and disability management organizations, community partners, and word of mouth. A return-to-work (RTW) coordinator conducts intake, determines enrollees' eligibility, and 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 each RETAIN project 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
- RETAIN KY, Active Comparator
- Keywords
- disability, employment, unemployment
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
RETAIN KYOther
The experimental group receives a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work (SAW)/return-to-work (RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. Services offered by the project include individualized intensive vocational services from RETAIN RTW Coordinators, with an emphasis on assistive technology, universal design, and peer support. The project provides training on SAW/RTW best practices and RETAIN, as well as financial incentives to health care professionals. The treatment group is eligible to receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities.
Active ComparatorOther
Those in the active comparator arm continue to receive medical services. A RTW coordinator creates a RTW plan with the enrollee and refers them to existing resources. The RTW coordinator works with enrollees for 2.5 hours total.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| RETAIN Programming | Experimental | The experimental group receives the full set of RETAIN intervention activities. Receives: Other: RETAIN KY |
| Active Comparator | Active comparator | The active comparator group does not receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities. Receives: Other: Active Comparator |
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 posted29 Dec 2021
- Study start18 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
- 3,153 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Social Security Administration, The United States
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Jill Berk, PhD, Principal investigator, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05173350
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RTN-KY
- Other IDs
- OD-36364-21-75-4-21
- 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) Kentucky
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05173350
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RTN-KY
- Conditions
- Disability
- Keywords
- disability, employment, unemployment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 3,153 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Social Security Administration, The United States
- Study start
- 18 Oct 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 18 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 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 Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet's implementation of "RETAIN KY" 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
SSA contracted with Mathematica to conduct an independent evaluation of RETAIN Kentucky. 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 RETAIN stakeholders about the treatment enrollee returning to work, and monitors the enrollee's medical and employment progress. RETAIN Kentucky also provides individualized intensive vocational services from RETAIN RTW Coordinators, with an emphasis on assistive technology, universal design, and peer support.
Kentucky uses a multi-method approach toward recruitment that includes referrals from medical providers, employers, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, workforce and disability management organizations, community partners, and word of mouth. A return-to-work (RTW) coordinator conducts intake, determines enrollees' eligibility, and 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 each RETAIN project 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: RETAIN KYThe experimental group receives the full set of RETAIN intervention activities. |
| Active Comparator | Active comparator | Other: Active ComparatorThe active comparator group does not receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Individuals who are at risk of exiting the workforce due to non-work-related illness of injury
- Individuals who are employed or have been employed within the last 12 months and made at least $1,000 in one of those months
- Individuals who reside in the Kentucky
- Individuals must not have applied for or be receiving federal disability benefits including SSDI and SSI within the last 5 years
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Individuals who are do not have a non-work-related illness or injury that puts them at risk of exiting the workforce
- Individuals who unemployed or have not been employed within the last 12 months
- Individuals who have not made at least $1,000 in the past 12 months
- Individuals who do not reside in the Kentucky
- Individuals who have applied for or be receiving federal disability benefits including SSDI and SSI within the last 5 years
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 |
|---|---|---|
| RETAIN KYThe experimental group receives a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work (SAW)/return-to-work (RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. Services offered by the project include individualized intensive vocational services from RETAIN RTW Coordinators, with an emphasis on assistive technology, universal design, and peer support. The project provides training on SAW/RTW best practices and RETAIN, as well as financial incentives to health care professionals. The treatment group is eligible to receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities. | Other | RETAIN Programming |
| Active ComparatorThose in the active comparator arm continue to receive medical services. A RTW coordinator creates a RTW plan with the enrollee and refers them to existing resources. The RTW coordinator works with enrollees for 2.5 hours total. | Other | Active Comparator |
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 RETAIN KY and Active Comparator 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 4 inclusion and 5 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.