Frequently Asked Questions
Case Management
Q: Will an Emergency Response (ER) worker be able to access the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment (CANS) in CWS‑CARES from a referral, or only after a case is opened, and does a CANS need to be fully completed and supervisor‑approved before a case plan can begin?
A: The CWS-CARES Project is currently finalizing its supervisor approval functionality; Currently, CANS is not accessible in a referral. The user would need to promote the referral to a case to include CANS accessibility, which an ER worker will be able to access in CWS-CARES. Including CANS accessibility in referrals will be a future development consideration.
Furthermore, cases plans can begin prior to a CANS being fully completed, but you cannot enter a case plan’s objectives with CANS being completed. This means you can document everything else such as the people involved, permanency goals, visitation plans, agency responsibilities, and Objectives for the Parent/Legal Guardian/Indian Custodian which are based on the Safety Threats identified from the Structured Decision Making (SDM) Safety Assessment. Objectives must be added for the Focus Child(ren) prior to submitting for supervisor approval, so this is the point where a user will be blocked without a CANS Assessment completed. The CANS will also need supervisor approval.
Q: After the initial hotline report is completed, what does a worker do if/when they receive new information ?
A: If the initial screening has been submitted for approval to the supervisor (and not yet approved), the worker can "recall" the screening to add any additional information. If it has already been approved by the supervisor the information can be added to the Investigation if the user has the appropriate permissions or routed to the assigned worker.
Q: How will CWS‑CARES track referral history and provide KPIs that show when a referral was sent to a supervisor, how long the review took, and whether it was returned for edits or closed, so we can accurately assess 45‑day compliance and supervisor performance?
A: CWS-CARES will maintain historical data for each referral. In addition, KPIs (key performance indicators) will be available for a variety of activities.
Q: Will CWS‑CARES include functionality to document and track SSI/SSP eligibility and case management requirements for youth receiving Social Security benefits, and provide reporting capabilities to ensure we are meeting legal criteria?
A: For CWS-CARES V1, the worker will be able to document a screening for SSI/SSP benefits. They will also be able to upload any document to a case record such to support eligibility and tracking of youth who have social security benefits. As the CWDS Project and the counties identify additional guidance and practices, CWS-CARES will expand functionality to meet additional needs in CWS-CARES V2 and any subsequent releases. Thank you for your advocacy, please do not hesitate to continue doing so going forward.
Q: What is the difference between Sealed and Sensitive?
A: Sealed is done based on a court order and is typically after a case is closed, although it is not required that the case be closed. Sensitive is for cases involving high profile people.
Q: Will Folio continue to use the Mother’s name for the referral (Screening Name), and then switch to the individual focus child’s name for the Case after the Investigation?
A: The current process is to use the Mother's name for the referral. In CWS-CARES, this is referred to as "Screening Name" and is populated based on county process. Following the Investigation the Case is based on the individual focus child.
Q: Will the primary worker still be able to see their sensitive cases without having sensitive access?
A: Yes, the primary worker will still be able to see their sensitive cases without requiring sensitive access.
Q: Is it true that on sealed cases, no one can read it if they do not have that sealed access?
A: Correct, no one will access to sealed cases except for those assigned with sealed access. In addition, the same is true for the sensitive status.
Q: Can we add multiple worker permissions to one user (e.g. Case Management Supervisor and Case Worker together)?
A: Yes, multiple permissions can be assigned to one user.
Q: Will visitation track if someone reschedules?
A: Yes, it can tracked when visitation is rescheduled. “Rescheduled” is one of the reasons that the user can select in the Visit Log (list of visits).