Has an Injury or Illness Left You Sidelined?
If you have an injury or illness that’s affecting your ability to work, Minnesota’s RETAIN program is here to help.
Get a no-cost, no-obligation consultation
MN RETAIN Supports Workers
Through MN RETAIN, you may be assigned a Return to Work Case Manager who becomes a member of your healthcare team. Your Case Manager will work with you and your employer and healthcare provider to:
- Help you and your employer plan for your return to work.
- Identify safe work tasks based on your healthcare provider’s recommendations.
- Update your healthcare provider between appointments on your return to work progress.
- Communicate with you, your employer and healthcare provider to make adjustments in your return to work plan.
- Answer your questions and assist you to stay at work or get back to work.
Who Qualifies for Support from MN RETAIN?
If you meet the following conditions, you may qualify for services through the MN RETAIN program:
- You live and work in Minnesota
- You have worked within the past 3 months
- You have an injury or illness that affects work or an upcoming surgery or procedure that will impact work.
If you are unable to be accommodated at your workplace, you may have the option of working with the Employer Outreach Specialist at Workforce Development Inc., which may be able to identify an appropriate paid work experience which will meet your accommodation needs.
Do All Workers Qualify for MN RETAIN?
MN RETAIN was designed to evaluate the impact of early intervention and support for workers with recent job impacts due to injury and illness. This is a temporary grant based program to research the impact of early interventions to help workers, however not all workers will qualify (see below). Approximately half of the workers who qualify and enroll will be randomly assigned to the control group.
Workers who qualify and enroll receive $100 and resources they can contact on their own. The workers who are assigned to the intervention group receive additional free services through the RETAIN program.
If you are unsure if you qualify and want to talk to a MN RETAIN team member, please don’t hesitate to contact MN RETAIN at worker@mnretain.com or through the contact form.
More information is available regarding the healthcare enrollment portion of the program and the evaluation of the program.
Which Workers do NOT Qualify for the Program?
A worker would NOT qualify for the MN RETAIN program if they:
- Have a pending application or are receiving of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
- Are a worker’s compensation recipient that has a qualified rehabilitation consultant (QRC) or a disability case manager (DCM).
- Are employed by a RETAIN healthcare recipient or subrecipient with an existing return-to-work program for employees (i.e. Mayo Clinic employees).
- Have legal representation/litigation at the time of enrollment related to the medical condition.
- Do not have the capacity to give appropriate informed consent.
If you are unsure if you qualify and want to talk to a MN RETAIN team member, please contact MN RETAIN at worker@mnretain.com or through the contact form.
While not all workers qualify for MN RETAIN, there are other programs and resources available to MN workers:
Jobs in Minnesota | CareerResources | CareerForceMN.com
For Job Seekers / Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (mn.gov)
Resources for Workers:
Resources to help a worker talk to their doctor and employer about simple, low-cost changes to your hours or duties that may enable you to work while you recuperate.
A printable overview of the MN RETAIN program.
Links to Employment Rights Information:
ODEP: Employment Rights: Who has Them and Who Enforces Them
US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Facts About the Americans with Disabilities Act
