Process Analysis Report for the Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) Demonstration

The Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to help workers with recently acquired injuries or illnesses remain in the labor force. DOL and SSA competitively awarded cooperative agreements to five state agencies to expand programs they began in Phase 1 of RETAIN. Each state’s RETAIN program model centered on early coordination of healthcare and employment-related services and supports to help injured or ill workers remain in the workforce. The five states differed in how they implemented these services and supports to account for differences in their intended populations and the services available to support program outcomes. This report assesses RETAIN program implementation and service delivery in five state-specific chapters and one chapter that describes treatment enrollees’ experiences with the RETAIN programs in all five states. The findings focus on (1) program partnerships and the environment surrounding RETAIN implementation and service delivery, (2) recruitment and enrollment of eligible workers, and (3) RETAIN implementation and service delivery. We report on implications for replicating each state’s program and interpretation of impacts on outcomes.