Frequently Asked Questions
Features & Functionality
Q: Can additional addresses be added to an Office in CWS-CARES?
A: Yes, additional addresses can be added to an office.
Q: Will the transfer of data from County Expense Claim Reporting Information System (CECRIS) into CWS-CARES be after the files are audited/approved by CDSS? Will CWS-CARES also receive revised CECRIS Claims?
A: CWS-CARES will receive both the unaudited and audited Original claims approved by the state as federal reporting requires both. CWS-CARES will also receive the approved Adjustment claims. The interface data exchange with CECRIS occurs on a monthly basis. This data will be sent once CECRIS has received all prior to audit claims for each county OR when all audited claims have been approved by CDSS (i.e., when all Original claims have been approved by CDSS, all approved Original claims for each county will be sent to CWS-CARES at once).
Q: Will user role configuration be specific to a position or function?
A: Role configuration will be specific to a function. This work will be performed by organizations as part of an activity called role mapping in which security profiles for CWS-CARES will be provided to your organization (through your IC) and your implementation team will have the opportunity to assign profiles based on job responsibilities.
Q: Is assistance payment data read only in CWS-CARES? How about issuances outside of CalSAWS?
A: Yes, when CWS-CARES receives data from CalSAWS for issued assistance-related payments, we will only be able to read that information but not edit it. Issuances outside of CalSAWS will be read-only as well after they are uploaded into CWS-CARES via the supplemental form.
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.