RA User Manual

Using This Manual

The following formatting conventions are used in this manual to highlight important information:

• Italicized text indicates a location, for example a particular Folder, Tab, or Window.

• Bold text indicates a specific user action, such as clicking a button.  

1 RA Introduction

1.1 About eCASE RA

Reasonable Accommodations is an eCASE application paired with a public facing portal which allows users to submit Reasonable Accommodations (RA) requests. An RA Request is a request for materials, software, transportation, or other assistance, allowing the user to perform their job responsibilities more easily. The portal is internal to your organization, and the eCASE backend is limited to a set number of users who adjudicate the request, accept, or decline the request, and move an accepted request through to completion. Anyone within your organization can submit a RA request. Additionally, there are several forms that employees can submit, including an RA Request, an RA Inquiry, and an RA Modification. These forms are covered in depth in a later section of this document.

1.2 About this Manual

In this manual, the following topics are discussed:

• Getting Started: This section guides users through the first eCASE elements they encounter.  

• Reasonable Accommodations Case Folder Interface: Here we discuss the tabs that comprise the Reasonable Accommodations Case Folder.  

• Working with Inquiries: This subsection instructs RA users on receiving and processing portal submitted RA Inquiries.  

• Working with Reasonable Accommodation Files: Here we discuss the Reasonable Accommodation User Interface (UI) and Workflow.  

• RA Modifications: Here we discuss the RA Modification case type, and how it differs from a standard RA request.

• RA Configuration: This section outlines the configuration options available in the RA Configuration folder.  

2 Getting Started

2.1 Login

To log in to eCASE, navigate to the eCASE Login screen. Your system administrator will provide you a hyperlink to access the eCASE Login screen. Enter your (1) Username and (2) Password in the Login screen and click (3) Sign In.

After login, the eCASE Homepage appears. The system automatically opens the module users have currently have access to. If a user has access to multiple modules, the system opens the module most recently accessed. The eCASE Homepage is annotated in the following subsection.

2.2 User Interface

The Reasonable Accommodations solution is built on the core eCASE platform that supports multiple powerful task management solutions. Therefore, it shares certain elements of the basic eCASE platform that is familiar if you have used any other eCASE-based tools. An example of the eCASE UI is shown below:

NOTE: The image above is provided as a sample and some aspects may not reflect your specific eCASE environment.

There are four primary areas on the landing page:

The (A) Launch Pad and (B) Quick Search Bar are standard parts of the eCASE UI and remain static across all pages in the application. No matter what the user is doing within the eCASE system, these portions of the screen are always available.

The (C) Dashboard provides module-specific information for easy access and visibility when first logging in to the application. It also logically separates information relevant to the user’s role. The Dashboard contains the Cases Assigned to Me and Cases in Queue inboxes. The Cases Assigned to Me inbox displays cases with an active workflow where the next step has been assigned to you. The Cases in Queue inbox shows forms submitted from the portal that are ready to be assigned.  

Finally, the (D) Profile menu allows you to access your user profile (which includes the logout option).

2.3 Roles

eCASE features predetermined user roles, with permissions restricting what features the user has access to. User level permissions are the basic permissions level, and these users do not have any creation or approval permissions.

3 Reasonable Accommodations Case Folder Interface

The following subsections describe the RA tabs and their functionality.  

NOTE: RA tab titles can be configured, so the name that appears in your environment may vary, but functionality is the same.

3.1 RA Inquiry Tab

The RA Inquiry Form tab contains the details provided by the portal user when they submitted a Reasonable Accommodations Inquiry. This information is presented here for reference but cannot be edited.

NOTE: This tab only appears under RA Inquiry cases.

3.2 Intake Form Tab

The Intake Form tab appears for RA Requests received from the portal. Most of the information on this tab reflects the details provided by the portal user and cannot be edited.  

Notable areas on this tab include the (A) Action button, which is Send Notification in the example below. The Action button will change depending on the current task and directs users on next steps to process this request. There is also a (B) Case Status drop-down, where an updated Case Status can be selected. The status you select from the Case Status drop down will also reflect in the Case Status column on the portal.

3.3 Resolution Form Tab

The Resolution Form tab is used to capture the agency’s determination as well as the resolution details for this request. This tab only becomes available after a user is assigned to the case. An example tab is shown below, with the major areas highlighted.

Under (A) Accommodations, you can make a determination about the request accommodation. See the Approve or Deny Accommodations section for details on each option. There are also field to capture (B) additional details about the accommodation (if granted). Provide as much data as possible in these fields. Finally, the (C) Signature field at the bottom of this form captures the approver signature on this determination. Use the Click to sign form button to sign a completed form.

3.4 Information Reporting Tab

The Information Reporting tab is used to capture important summary information about the RA case. Fields are available to capture information about the accommodations, dates throughout the process, note if medical information was requested (and why), and more as applicable for each request. An example form is shown below with annotations highlighting areas of interest on this tab:

A. Some fields, including the Accommodations and Date Accommodations Requested, are imported from the Intake Form tab and cannot be edited.

B. The editable fields help provide necessary details about how the request was implemented. These are a mix of free text, checkboxes, and date selection fields.

C. If you select Yes under Was medical information required to process this request? additional fields appear. You’ll be required to Explain why this was requested in the text field provided.

D. When the form is complete, use the Click to sign form to sign the completed form, then click Save.

3.5 Reconsideration

If a reconsideration for an accommodation decision is submitted by the requester, the Approver will take action on the Reconsideration tab. The tab will only appear on cases for which reconsiderations have been requested. An example tab is shown below:

On this tab, there are fields to capture the (A) Result of Reconsideration (either Approved or Disapproved) the (B) Date Reconsideration Issued, and a (C) Signature field to capture the user signature. See the Reconsideration section for additional details.

3.6 Post Case Processing Tab

The Post Case Processing tab is used, after the conclusion of the request, to capture the dates when RA processing work was completed. This information is used to validate that all steps in the RA process were completed in a timely manner.

3.7 Attachments Tab

Attachments included as part of completing this case folder are managed within the Attachments tab. This tab includes a list of all attachments associated with the case, with options for adding, editing, and managing attachments.

Attachments are managed in the (A) Attachments List and are they are structured according to the Attachment Type (determined during upload/workflow step). The (B) Actions menu features actions you can perform in this tab, including using the Add From and Add Child From buttons to add parent and child attachments, respectively:

3.8 Assignments Tab

3.8.1 About the Assignments Tab

The Assignments tab allows you to view the entire Case Folder Workflow, the current task in the workflow, and a history of actions on the workflow. Any tasks currently assigned to you are listed in the (A) Tasks Assigned to Me section, while the (B) All Activities section includes a list of all activities in the Case Folder workflow, including the current Status and various assignment details. The Linked Folders workspace allows you to directly connect two related folders, permitting users to easily navigate between the two. Click the Workflow Diagram button to view the current stage of the case folder workflow.

3.8.2 Tasks Assigned to Me

The Tasks Assigned to Me workspace displays any task(s) currently assigned to you, as shown in the following example:  

You can take action on a task assigned to you by selecting it from the list and clicking (A) Complete to complete the task, (B) View to view the task details, or (C) Delegate the reassign the task to another eligible system user.

3.8.3 All Activities

The All Activities section lists all activities in the workflow, including the (A) Status of each step. There are also options to view a (B) Workflow Diagram (see the following subsection), or a (C) Workflow History:

If you click Workflow Diagram, the full workflow appears in a new window. The step where this case folder is in the process is highlighted in red:

3.8.4 Linked Folders

The Linked Folders section contains a list of all RA folders that are linked to the current folder. For example, an RA Modification would be linked to the preceding RA File, which would be linked with the originating RA Inquiry. Linked cases are included in the (A) Folders list. There are also options to manually (B) Link Folders, or to select a linked folder from the list and take (C) Linked Folder Actions, including unlinking folders and viewing the Details Report:

3.9 Case Notes Tab

The Case Notes tab assists users when logging actions taken on this case folder. An example Case Notes tab is shown below:

Existing entries are logged on the (A) Case Notes list. Additionally, you can also take actions from the (B) toolbar, including adding entries, editing a selected entry, viewing attachments, or deleting a selected entry.

3.10 Portal Messages Tab

You can view messages sent to and received from the portal in the Portal Messages tab. Within this tab, there are options to view your (A) Mailboxes, including your Inbox, Sent Items, and Deleted Items. Items from the selected mailbox are displayed in the (B) Message List. You can select a message from the list, then use the (C) Action buttons to View or Delete the selected message. There is also the option to Compose a new message to the employee.

If you select Compose, the Portal Message screen appears as shown below. You are required to enter a Subject for the message. You can also add a Due Date for this action and compose the message in the Message field. You also have the option to add Attachments if needed.

When your message is configured, click Send to send the message to the employee. This message then appears in the Sent Items mailbox.

3.11 Portal Forms Tab

You can view the forms submitted from the portal in read-only format from the Portal Forms tab. Select an item from the list and click View Form to view the form as submitted from the portal.

4 Working with Inquiries

4.1 Inquiry Workflow

The Inquiry Workflow is advanced primarily within the Assignments tab. The Inquiry Workflow utilizes a simple three step workflow:

First the Inquiry is accepted and assigned, using either the Assignments tab or the Assign to Me button in the RA Inquiry tab. The assigned user must investigate the inquiry, report the results of the inquiry to the submitting user via the case folders Portal Messages tab, and close the case folder.

4.2 Receive and Assign an Inquiry

When an Inquiry form is submitted from a portal user, it must be assigned to a user from the Case Queue. You can find all cases in your current queue in the Cases in Queue inbox from the RA Dashboard. Follow the steps below to receive and assign an Inquiry to yourself.

1. From the home screen, locate the Cases in Queue inbox, then locate the RA Inquiry you’d like to assign from the list and select the Folder ID:

2. The RA Inquiry tab appears as shown below. Click the Assign to Me button:

3. A confirmation message appears as shown below. Click Yes to continue.

4. The screen refreshes and your name is added as the Folder Owner. The next step is to resolve and close this inquiry. See the following subsections for details.

4.3 Respond to an Inquiry

After an RA Inquiry is reviewed, the next step is to respond to the portal user. You can use the email templates configured via the Default Attachments in the Attachments tab. If the portal user wishes to move forward with a formal request, they are required to submit an RA Form from the portal. No further action is required in the RA application to close this RA Inquiry case.

5 Working with Reasonable Accommodations Files

5.1 Reasonable Accommodation Request Workflow

The overall RA Workflow is shown in the following diagram (viewable by clicking Workflow Diagram from the Assignments tab):

NOTE: The current step in this request’s workflow is outlined with a red border.

The general workflow process is described below:

1. After the request is received and assigned, notifications are sent to the submitting employee and their supervisor, and the RA request is reviewed. The next step depends on the results of this review. If additional documentation is required, see step 2. Otherwise, see step 3.

2. Additional documentation may be required before this request can be accepted or rejected. Messages can be sent to the requester via the portal to provide this required documentation, which can be reviewed. This process can be repeated as much as is needed to acquire all necessary documentation. Once all documentation is received, see step 3.

3. After the RA Request is reviewed, a determination is made on the request. Determinations include: Approved as specifically requested, Approved but different from original request, Denied, or N/A. If the recommendation is Approved as specifically requested, see step 5. If the recommendation is Approved but different from original request, it is sent to the employee, who has the option to approve, reject, or request reconsideration on this determination if it was not approved as specifically requested. If the employee requests reconsideration, see step 4. If the employee accepts, see step 5.  

4. If reconsideration is requested, the Approver must approve or reject this request and return it to the portal user. If the Approver accepts reconsideration, it is implemented as described in step 5. If the Approver rejects reconsideration, the Information Reporting is completed, as shown in step 6.

5. If an RA is approved, the next step is to implement this request. These details are captured on Information Reporting Form.

6. The final step in the process is to complete the Information Reporting Form, regardless of the outcome of this request.

After an RA request is approved and implemented, the employee has the option to submit a modification to this request, which is received as an RA Modification case type and is always linked to the original request. See the RA Modifications section for details.

5.2 Receive and Assign an RA File

When an RA Request is submitted from a portal user, it must be assigned to a user from the Case Queue. You can find all cases in your current queue in the Cases in Queue inbox from the RA Dashboard. Follow the steps below to receive and assign an RA File to yourself.

1. From the home screen, locate the Cases in Queue inbox, then locate the RA File you’d like to assign from the list and click the Folder ID:

2. The Intake Form tab appears as shown below. Click the Assign to Me button:

3. A confirmation message appears. Click Yes to continue.

4. The screen refreshes and a new Send Notification button appears. See the Send Notifications section for details on sending notifications.

5.3 Send Notifications

RA processing requires standard messages and notifications be sent to the portal user. Use the Send Notification button on the Intake Form screen to send templates messages to the portal user:

An example Send Attachment By Email screen is shown below.  

Add the recipient email in the (A) To field. Next, select an (B) Email Template from the dropdown list. These templates are configured to provide standard language to accompany all stages of the request. There are also options to (C) Attach From Disk and Attach From if you need to add attachments. Finally, click (D) Send to send the notification.

5.4 Update Case Status

Follow the steps below to update the current Case Status. This status reflects on the Portal side so the portal user can see the current case status. To update the case status:

1. Open the desired case folder, and navigate to any Form tab (the Case Status drop-down is available on each of these tabs).  

2. Click the Case Status drop-down list and select a new status.

3. Click Save in the upper left.

4. The screen refreshes and reflects the updated status. This update is also reflected on the portal side as shown below:

5.5 Advancing the RA Workflow

5.5.1 Continue Workflow

During request processing, once required steps are taken and the workflow is ready to move forward to the next step, follow the process below to log this in the system and continue the workflow:

To continue the workflow, you can either click Save & Complete from the Intake Form tab, or navigate to the Assignments tab, select the current task under Tasks Assigned to Me, then click Complete. After completing either method, the Continue Workflow screen appears as shown in the following example:

NOTE: Some workflow steps require you to select the next activity in the process. See the Select Next Activity section for steps.

You can add (A) Comments in the field provided. There are also options to (B) Attach file(s) if needed. You can also select the (C) Add Journal Entry Attachments to the Email checkbox if you’d like the attachments added to the email notification. Finally, click (D) Continue to commit the action and advance the workflow.

The workflow now advances to the next step. This action is also logged on the Case Notes tab as shown below:

5.5.2 Select Next Activity

Depending on the current place in the workflow, you may be prompted to select the next activity when continuing the workflow. Follow the steps below if you are prompted to Select Next Activity:

An example Select Next Activity screen is shown below. There are multiple options for next steps in the process depending on where you are in the workflow and the actions you just took.

There are (A) options for the next activity. In this example there are options to Send Portal Message for Additional Documentation, or Approve/Reject RA. Select the desired next activity radio button, then click (B) Select.  

The Continue Workflow screen appears. Follow the steps in the Continue Workflow section to complete this process.

5.6 Approve or Deny Accommodations

When a decision is made to approve or deny the requested accommodations, open the request, and navigate to the Resolution Form tab.

Under Accommodation(s), select from the options listed. These options are described below:

Click Save & Continue to save the determination and advance the workflow. Note that the portal user may have the option to request reconsideration of this decision.

5.7 Reconsideration

Portal users have the option to accept the office decision on their request, or to send it back for reconsideration if they are not satisfied with the outcome. If a request is sent back for reconsideration, this request must be completed by an Approver user. Only users with Approver permissions will have access to the Reconsideration Form tab.

Follow the steps below to complete the Reconsideration Decision process.

1. Access the request in reconsideration, and navigate to the Reconsideration Form tab.

2. Under Result of Reconsideration, select either Approved or Disapproved to reflect the decision on this reconsideration.

   1. If you elect to Approve this request, an additional field appears where you are required to enter the Reason for Approving Reconsideration:

2. If the reconsideration is Disapproved, additional fields appear to capture disapproval details. Use the lookup to select the Request Denied Because reasoning (you can select more than one). You must also enter Detailed reason(s) for the denial in the field provided. As noted here, these details must be specific.

3. After filling in all required fields, you can use the Click to sign form button to apply your signature to the form:

4. Finally, click Save to save the determination.

6 RA Modifications

RA Modifications allow employees to request a modification to an existing accommodation. RA Modification requests must be linked to an existing RA file, and the process and forms are all nearly identical to the standard Reasonable Accommodation request.  

The difference in the UI between these case types is the addition of two fields on the Intake Form tab, submitted from the Portal. These fields show the original (A) RA File Case folder that the employee selected to modify, as well as the (B) Reasonable Modification Requested. These fields are selected by the employee and cannot be edited.

NOTE: You can modify RA Files that are in progress or closed.  

Otherwise, the UI and workflow for RA Modifications are identical to those for the RA File. For additional details on any of the tabs or functions present in an RA Modification case, please refer to the Reasonable Accommodations Case Folder Interface and the Working with Reasonable Accommodations Files sections of this manual.  

7 RA Configuration

7.1 Accessing RA Configuration

To access the Configuration folder, select Main Menu > Configuration > RA Configuration.

eCASE RA refreshes and displays the Configuration folder, with the RA General Configuration tab selected.

The various Tabs are listed at the top of the interface. After selecting a tab, the Configuration settings appear in the workspace. A full list of tabs is included in the following section.

7.2 RA Configuration Tabs

The eCASE RA Configuration folder allows administrators to configure fields appearance and behavior within each Case Folder. The Configuration folder consists of the following tabs: