Frequently Asked Questions
General
Q: What factors will counties be told must be met during the go/no‑go decision process?
A: ELT received a walkthrough on August 24, 2026. The 60-day checklist can be obtained from CWDA.
Q: Will an ACL or ACIN be issued to explain the workarounds and clarify what is expected when using them?
A: Workarounds are temporary steps that allow counties to continue capturing and tracking essential data until the final functionality is released. The completed functionality will be documented through All County Letter (ACLs), All County Information Notices (ACINs), and errata, while workaround guidance will be posted on the CWS‑CARES website. Sharing these materials online enables faster updates, clearer visuals, and more organized information for counties.
Q: Where can I find more information on when each workaround will be replaced by full system functionality?
A: Weekly release notes will include which functionality is being released and any workarounds that are being retired. To access the release notes, log into the System Updates & Release Notes page of the Production Simulation Hub.
Q: Where can I find more information on when each workaround will be phased out or no longer needed?
A: Weekly release notes will include which functionality is being released and any workarounds that are being retired. To access the release notes, log into the System Updates & Release Notes page of the Production Simulation Hub.
Q: Will a written document be provided that explains all workaround scenarios?
A: A list identifying all workaround scenarios was provided at the in-person CWDA/County Leadership/Project meeting on August 14, 2026. Screenshots and step‑by‑step instructions for each of the 82 workarounds was released to counties on September 4.
For full details, log into the System Updates & Release Notes page of the Production Simulation Hub and access the CWS-CARES Interim Workaround Guidance document.
Q: Is the business continuity/disaster planning ask focused only on the cutover weekend, or on worst-case, longer-term scenarios as well?
A: While the Business Continuity plan is focused primarily on the cutover weekend prior to Go-Live, this can be leveraged for the future in case CWS-CARES and/or your county happens to have an outage.
Q: Can questions be submitted to be added to the FAQ page, and if so, to whom?
A: If you want to request additions of questions to the FAQs webpage, please route questions through your implementation lead, who will send them through the internal review process for an answer before posting to the FAQ site. The Project is exploring more direct submission options in the future, but this is the current process.
Q: Will out of scope external systems be built into CWS-CARES beyond CWS-CARES Version 1?
A: The scope for CWS-CARES beyond V1 has not been finalized. External systems currently identified as out of scope for CWS-CARES V1 will be reevaluated for duplicative functionality following the release of future CWS-CARES scope.
Q: Why are there so many different names for what seems like the same function? (e.g. Intake/Hotline/Screening)
A: Historically, counties have used different names for the same core function (receiving, assessing, and routing referrals) — some emphasize “hotline,” others “intake” or “screening.” The FAQ page standardizes on the term “Intake.”
Q: When will counties be able to see/tailor the process changes for to the new system?
A: Organization Change Management (OCM) has completed the As-Is process maps and is building the To-Be process maps along with Change Impacts as functionality is being completed. OCM will present these to counties according to the Implementation Roadmap.