Frequently Asked Questions
Forms & Reports
Q: Will we be able to print a Unit report with all staff names and ID numbers listed?
A: Yes, you will be able to print a unit report with staff names and ID numbers listed.
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: If corrections are needed after an AD 4320 form has been set to final status, does the worker need to generate a new form in CWS-CARES?
A: If changes are needed after the form is in final status, a new document will need to be generated in CARES.
Q: Will our current users be imported into CWS-CARES with all privilege information including caseload information?
A: Yes, CWS/CMS privilege and caseload information will be imported into CWS-CARES.
Q: Will Production Simulation testers be able to run all Key Performance Indicators (KPI) reports and test Tableau reports against practice data entered into the simulation environment?
A: Yes, counties will be able to run and test reports against practice data entered in Production Simulation including all Key Performance Indicators (KPI) reports and Tableau reports.
Q: For children in Emergency Response (ER) or Intake Services (IS), will Public Health Nurse information — such as active Medi-Cal status, Geographic Managed Care (GMC) plan, assigned provider, and Benefits Identification Card (BIC) number — be available in CWS-CARES?
A: Yes, CWS-CARES will provide a location to document health insurance and service provider information. However, the CWS-CARES V1 scope does not include direct connectivity to a system that would automatically add this information to CWS-CARES.
Q: How/where will Child and Family Team (CFT) Brochure distribution to CFT members, required by All County Letter (ACL) 25-54, be logged and tracked in CWS-CARES?
A: ACL 25-54 is a new requirement that was published in 2025. We are tracking this requirement in our backlog, and it will be implemented in a future version of CWS-CARES.
Q: Can the FC 8 form be generated by an Eligibility Worker?
A: Who can do what in CARES is dependent on county business process. If the EW needs to generate the FC 8, then we grant them access to CARES to do that. This is why we need to complete the process workgroups to determine who does what, and where the handoffs occur.
Q: Will counties be able to modify state forms as it indicates in the process map?
A: There are some state forms that counties cannot change but there are other state forms that allow counties to download and add certain pieces of information as needed and save it as a county form for their use.
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.