Frequently Asked Questions
Admin Services
Q: For context, the Project has stated that CWS-CARES will no longer utilize CWS User IDs. CWS-CARES V1 provides access to Structured Decision Making (SDM) and Safe Measures applications within the application; however, V1 does not completely decommission those applications, so County Admins will still be required to Add/Modify/Terminate SDM and Safe Measures user accounts within those specific applications. Currently, SDM and Safe Measures require a CWS User ID to set up a user account in both applications. The question is: Will both of those applications (SDM/Safe Measures) be modified prior to the 10/2026 go-live so that the CWS User ID is no longer required for user accounts? Also, will County Admins still access SDM and Safe Measures externally for account management functions, or will we utilize the links within the CWS-CARES app? Regarding accounts being end-dated after 90 days of inactivity, will their account just need a password reset that the employee can initiate? And lastly, will their account be end-dated or frozen? If their account is end-dated, will a new account need to be established for that employee?
A: SDM/SafeMeasures will use user’s email address for access to these systems. We haven’t tested how admin or users will need to interact with SDM or SafeMeasures outside of CWS-CARES. The Project will provide an update to the counties after the functionality has been tested.
Regarding accounts being end-dated after 90 days of inactivity, users will need to contact County Admin to reenable account.
Accounts will not be enabled in Okta. Users will need to contact County Admin to reenable account. Data in CWS-CARES associated to the user will remain the same. The user’s supervisor is responsible for units of work associated to the user if account is disabled. Note: The account is only inactive not end dated. We only end date accounts when we are truly terminating access (fired, quit, retired, etc.).
Q: Will all county users automatically have access to the Production Simulation environment, or will the county have to choose or register specific users to enroll? Lake County strongly suggested including ALL county users to Production Simulation environment instead of having the counties 'register' or 'choose' users for this exercise.
A: The Production Simulation environment is scheduled to be available from May 2026 through the October 2026 Go-Live. Access will be extended to all active CWS/CMS users rather than requiring a manual registration or selection process. We are currently collaborating with the County Advisory Committees to finalize the specific timing of access and any necessary usage prerequisites.
Q: Will counties have the ability to 'delete' county-created forms from CWS-CARES or do they have to open a ticket with the state to do it? If the counties can't delete the form, will they be able to mark it inactive and will marking it inactive not display the form in the drop-down during forms generation?
A: Counties will not be able to permanently delete county-created forms in CWS-CARES. However, county form authors can mark forms as “Inactive” within the document configuration page. Once a form is marked “Inactive”, it will no longer appear in the dropdown list during form generation.
Q: Can the tribal information in Resource Management directory (for example, Tribe name changes etc.) be edited by the counties or is this going to be a state only functionality?
A: Only approved state personnel are allowed to view/edit a Tribe Organization in CWS-CARES.
Q: The latest workstation spec requirements list out a minimum of 15" monitor screens. Is this mandatory? We have some laptops that are 14" inches, and IT is wondering if it's more a resolution issue than physical size.
A: The minimum screen resolution required to support all CWS-CARES features is 1024 x 768 pixels. The 15” monitor size is a general guideline for monitors and is not mandatory.
Q: Once we transition to CWS-CARES, will probation staff still access via Citrix?
A: Yes, probation staff will still access via Citrix after the transition to CWS-CARES.
Q: Will Outlook be included with CWS-CARES environment? Will it be integrated into CWS-CARES or will counties need to use Outlook Web version for email?
A: There are no plans or requirements to integrate Outlook with CWS-CARES. Therefore, it will not be included. Counties will continue their current processes for using Outlook.
Q: Will a CWS-CARES county admin be able to limit access for a page or section of the system?
A: Yes, CWS-CARES administrators will be able to limit access to areas of the system. Administrators will also be able to limit the number of records users can view or edit (including sealed and sensitive referral/cases). For further questions, please contact CARES Administration.
Q: Are tablets compatible with CARES?
A: Currently the Project recommends utilizing Windows Desktops/Laptops - HP, Dell, or MS Surface devices. These are the systems that the current development and testing teams are utilizing. CWS-CARES will be accessed via a "stable” version of Chrome or Microsoft Edge Chromium.
Q: How will Child Welfare Services-California Automated Response and Engagement System (CWS-CARES) handle (user) name changes? If someone changes their last name will their login change? Can they change it?
A: Yes. When someone changes their last name, their email will change and therefore the login will change. The last name can be changed by administrators of CARES V1.