Frequently Asked Questions
Case Management
Q: Can counties request custom training (for example, on case plans or court reports) during their monthly meetings?
A: Training will be deployed on the agreed-upon dates and schedule. The Project will not be able to accommodate custom training sessions for each county.
Q: Will Probation use CWS-CARES exclusively, or alongside other data systems?
A: Probation will use CWS-CARES as extensively as Child Welfare, but dual entry will still be required. Some tasks (such as case plans and court reports) are not required in CWS-CARES, though dates must still be recorded.
Q: For CWS/CMS functionality not integrated until CWS-CARES V2 (such as the S-Wraparound Program Special Project Code), where will counties enter that data when CWS/CMS is read-only?
A: The Project believes the special project code has already been implemented but will confirm whether anything remains outstanding. The goal is to ensure both the functionality in CWS/CMS and the associated data are in place. Counties with a specific scenario are encouraged to share it with the Project.
Q: Since Structured Decision Making (SDM), CARES-Live, and Binti data is slated for summer 2026, will synthetic data for these systems be in the environment until then?
A: Counties are encouraged to practice using synthetic data — for example, CWS/CMS cases and referrals to initiate interfaces. Historical data within those interfaces will not be available.
Q: If workers are mid-function in CWS/CMS when it changes to read-only and data transfers to CWS-CARES, will in-progress items default to pending or be treated as finalized?
A: The Conversion team has developed and implemented transformation logic that allows users to continue "in-flight" cases, referrals, or other units of work (such as items pending approval) from CWS/CMS into CWS-CARES. Production Simulation is a good opportunity to test these in-progress workflows.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of Health and Education Passports (HEPs) that can be created and kept in CWS-CARES?
A: No, there is no limit. The document list shows the date and time of each document, allowing the user to see HEPs generated on different dates and at different times.
Q: What happens when "confidential" is selected in a health record?
A: When "confidential" is selected, the record is excluded from the Health and Education Passport (HEP) when it is generated and will not auto-populate into the HEP, similar to CWS/CMS. The information icon notes that, when checked, the health record will not display on the HEP.
Q: How are medication allergies documented in CWS-CARES, and is there an "Other" option?
A: Allergies are organized by type: Airborne, Drug/Medication Allergy, Food Allergy, Insect, Skin Allergy, or Other. When a user selects Drug/Medication, they are prompted to enter more detailed information about the specific allergy. Based on the allergy type, an additional subtype field enables; for example, Food Allergy offers subtypes including Celiac Disease, Eggs, Fish, Food Sensitivities, Milk and Dairy, Peanuts, Sesame, Shellfish, Soy, Tree Nuts, Wheat, and Other.
Q: Will the "also known as" (AKA) field be available and editable, and is it on the case record or exclusive to the Health and Education Passport (HEP)?
A: The "also known as" (AKA) field is part of the person record under Other Names, where the user can capture AKA, preferred name, and similar information.
Q: Is there a nurse consultant supporting refinements to the health record diagnoses in CWS-CARES?
A: The Case Management team consulted with a group of Public Health Nurses (PHNs) on the health record section in CWS-CARES, including a review of the list of values from CWS/CMS.