The Minnesota RETAIN program’s primary goal is to provide early intervention strategies for workers to stay at work or return to work as soon as medically possible after an injury or illness, occurring on or off-the-job, impacts their employment. Minnesota RETAIN is different than many other stay at work/return to work programs because the Return to Work Case Manager is an integrated member of the worker’s medical team.
Minnesota RETAIN also assists workers that cannot be accommodated in their regular job. They may have the option of working with a Career Navigator who might be able to create an individualized employment plan for the worker.
MN RETAIN is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Social Security Administration under a grant award of $19,518,509 to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development that will be incrementally provided. 100% of grant funding is from U.S. Federal funds.
During the Phase 1 demonstration project, the MN RETAIN Program successfully developed protocols, processes, and collaboration among various state agencies, workforce development organizations and the Mayo Clinic and served 150 ill/injured workers.
Phase II expanded the program to include 3,200 participants across the state of Minnesota and was designed to validate and bring to scale evidence-based strategies aimed to increase employment retention and reduce long-term work disability.
MN RETAIN is a collaboration among and between the following organizations:
- Governor’s Workforce Development Board
- Mayo Clinic
- MN Department of Employment and Economic Development
- MN Department of Health
- MN Department of Labor and Industry
- Workforce Development, Inc.
By working together, MN RETAIN hopes to support injured or ill individuals return to work as soon as possible.
