Frequently Asked Questions
Features & Functionality
Q: If there is a need to decommission or close an office, does CWS-CARES provide the functionality to terminate all user accounts under that office and close/inactivate the office?
A: CWS-CARES will not allow an office to be closed until all users within the office’s units have been transferred to the units of an open office or a user has been end-dated. CWS-CARES will notify an administrator if the office they are trying to close is an office housing units with existing active users. As a note, there isn't workload history at the office level, there are caseloads under units. If you are just updating an office address, it does not affect the history at all.
Q: What are virtual offices in CWS-CARES?
A: A virtual office refers to an office that does not have a physical location.
Q: We were wondering if CWS-CARES will incorporate Safety Organized Practice (SOP) into the system. This is the state approved model approach we use in practice.
A: CWS-CARES incorporates elements aligned with Safety Organized Practice (SOP) where appropriate within system functionality. For example, provisional Harm and Danger Statements are available at Intake (Screening) and can be further developed throughout the referral and case lifecycle. Additionally, SOP-aligned language has been integrated into relevant areas of the system, including structured contact notes and other documentation features, where applicable.
Q: Are there plans on implementing a document imaging solution for CWS-CARES?
A: Currently, there are no plans for a document imaging solution directly into CWS-CARES at this time. Users can scan documents to their computers and upload any saved documents as needed.
Q: Outside of Child & Family Services (CFS) staff, will other Health & Human Services (HHS) partners, like Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) for example, who have access to CWS-CARES be able to access all information or will they only have access to limited information/functions in CWS-CARES?
A: Access to CWS-CARES is role-based, and counties are responsible for determining how system access is assigned to their users based on local operational needs.
At this time, there is no dedicated worker permission specifically configured for Behavioral Health staff. For secondary role assignment, a “Public Health Nurse” role is available and may be leveraged by counties as appropriate. However, there is currently no distinct Behavioral Health role with a separate, limited permission set.
Q: It is noted that there is the ability in CWS-CARES to e-sign a lot of documents i.e. courts, state forms etc. Has the State already approved e-signatures? We have been previously instructed they need wet signatures for many different documents.
A: While CWS-CARES has the functionality to e-sign documents such as court reports and state forms, e-signatures are not required. Counties will have the flexibility to follow their own County and Court policies around e-signing documents. Please view Rule 2.257 for further details on use of e-signatures.
Q: Will counties be able to copy and modify reports created by other counties? If so, when will those reports be available for counties to access and copy?
A: In the CWS-CARES 102 environment, County Report Developers have permission to view reports developed by other counties. However, they do not have the ability to download, copy, or modify these reports because they are not members of the respective county or project folder structures where the reports are stored. Counties will continue to have read-only access to reports developed by other counties.
Reports developed by the project are managed and maintained under the project vendor warranty. For this reason, County Report Developers are not granted permissions to download or modify these reports. All CWS-CARES users will have the ability to run and view available reports as part of the CWS-CARES solution.
Reports are organized within their respective folder structures (such as county-specific folders or project folders), and access permissions are managed accordingly.
Q: If a client moves from one county to another, will imaged documents and associated data transfer automatically with the rest of the client’s data?
A: Yes. In CWS-CARES, documents attached to a unit of work, such as a case, remain associated with that case. When the case is transferred from one county to another, the associated documents and relevant data remain linked to the case and are accessible to the receiving county.
Q: Can you upload a document to the competency evaluation? (e.g., if someone is receiving methadone treatment and their provider writes a letter—currently these are saved elsewhere; can they be uploaded?)
A: Yes. In the Adoption case for a relinquishment, users can document whether a competency evaluation is required and, if applicable, provide a narrative explanation. Users can also record details such as the provider name, date received, and decision. Supporting documentation (e.g., a provider letter) can be uploaded in the Documents section under the Adoptions category using the Relinquishment document type.
Q: Can there be an additional outcome option such as “amended”? Scenario example: A perpetrator had two allegations substantiated. The perpetrator grieved the results and one substantiated was modified to inconclusive/unfounded, while the other substantiated allegation was sustained. How would this split result be documented within the Internal Review section of CACI if there is no amended option?
A: For a list of definitions on outcome results, these definitions are county specific, so there isn’t a standardized list from the Project. Options for what will be included in this field within CWS-CARES are currently under review and will be shared in future communications. If there is a split result in CWS-CARES, each allegation will be able to have that individual record updated with the values in CWS-CARES and reflect any changes to the allegation conclusion.