Frequently Asked Questions
Forms & Reports
Q: How does the Expected End Date field on the AD 4320 form auto-populate, and does it change if the form is completed to extend benefits?
A: The AD 4320 Expected End Date does auto-populate to the child's 18th birthday. AD 4320s that are completed to extend benefits would auto-pop to the child's 21st birthday.
Q: Will there be an Assistance Cost dashboard and reports for program/fiscal managers?
A: Yes, there will be reports available in CWS-CARES related to assistance costs and caseloads for counties to use.
Q: Will we be able to view aggregate/summary-level data on this in a dashboard or by some other means?
A: Yes, there will be reports through Tableau that will allow you to track this type of information.
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 Organizations have the flexibility to use their preferred virtual meeting platform, or will all meetings need to be conducted over WebEx?
A: In general, the State uses WebEx, but we have to be flexible to meet our organization's needs. The RUGs meetings belong to the counties and they use the format they prefer.
Q: What is the purpose of the CWS-CARES Forms Tracker, and when will counties be given access to the state's forms list?
A: The CWS-CARES Forms Tracker, located in the CWS-CARES Forms Teams Channel, is the repository for the list of state forms that have been identified as potential candidates for CARES V1 development. The Project plans to share the Tracker with counties at an upcoming Forms Workgroup meeting.
Q: Can training cohorts that finish before the forms environment is released begin building their forms in the Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Design tool, and how will those forms migrate into an environment?
A: The Project recognizes the need for the training environment to be available and is working to provide the tools and platform to users as soon as possible. This item is actively in progress, and the Project will provide an update once the environment is available.
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: Once CDSS forms have been moved from CWS/CMS to CWS-CARES, who is responsible for updating them?
A: CDSS statewide forms will be maintained by the Project. Organization-specific forms will be maintained by the organization.