Frequently Asked Questions
Policy
Q: Why is the child's Social Security Number (SSN) automatically included in the Health and Education Passport (HEP)?
A: There is a field on the Health and Education Passport (HEP) to capture the Social Security Number (SSN); however, if the SSN is not captured in CWS-CARES, it will not auto-populate into the HEP. This is not the physical Social Security card.
Q: Since the Social Security Number (SSN) can appear on the Health and Education Passport (HEP), how is that confidential information protected?
A: Only users with permission to access CWS-CARES will see this information. As in CWS/CMS, users should only access information that pertains to the task at hand. Substitute Care Providers (SCPs) are advised to keep the document in a safe and secure place, as it contains sensitive and confidential information.
Q: Would time spent by staff participating in CWS-CARES training activities during Phase 1 from May 4, 2026 until July also count toward the mandatory hours of ongoing training requirements for social workers?
A: Yes, the time spent staff participating in CWS-CARES training activities during Phase 1 do count towards the mandatory hours of ongoing training requirements for social workers.
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: 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: 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.
Q: What are the requirements from the State for entering Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) information and uploading CACI documents in CWS-CARES? Would CWS-CARES need to hold all of the "administrative record," or just those available in CWS-CARES currently, request and notices.
A: Regarding State requirements for entering Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) information in CWS-CARES, there are no requirements from the State for entering that information. In CWS/CMS, there is currently an ID page that includes fields for entering this information if a disposition is changed to a grievance. CWS-CARES will also include these fields.
Q: Can counties use offshore resources for forms development activities?
A: Counties should consult their county counsel to determine whether offshore resources may be used based on their specific circumstances. While CDSS cannot provide county-specific legal advice, counties should consider the following:
- Offshore resources should not have access to production data
- Any agreement or contract for these services should be with an entity located in the United States, preferably California.
Q: Within documents, is it possible to redact content?
A: Yes, CWS-CARES allows users with the appropriate permissions to redact information in documents such as PDFs, Word files, and Excel files. All redacted documents are saved as PDFs, even if the original file was created in another format.
Redaction can be done in two ways:
- Manual redaction: selecting specific portions of the document to block out.
- Automatic redaction: searching for a word or phrase and redacting all occurrences at once.
Only users with the correct role-based permissions (such as case workers or supervisors) will see the redaction option, and access depends on their role and their access to the case or record.
Q: Will CWS-CARES Forms be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant? Counties wants to know if CDSS would be providing any guidance regarding ADA compliance guidance/requirements to counties.
A: Yes, State forms developed by the project will be ADA compliant and follow the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and ADA state requirements. Counties are responsible for ADA compliance for their own forms created in CWS-CARES. The Project will not be validating compliance on county created forms.