Frequently Asked Questions
Process Information Session (PIS)
Q: How immediate is the data exchange between the CalSAWS/CARES interface?
A: Data will exchange as close to real-time as possible. A nightly batch occurs as a 'failsafe' if any data does not go through in near real-time.
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: Will functionality for creating Offices in CWS-CARES mirror CWS/CMS functionality? Specifically, will an Office require a user account to be attached to it in order for it to be created?
A: Creating an office in CWS-CARES is similar to the process in CWS/CMS. User accounts are then required to be added to a unit within an office. Users aren’t added at the office level unless it’s an assignment desk.
Q: Will the 'Inactive Worker with Caseloads' report only be available to County Administrators, or would Supervisors and Managers in that Office be able to pull those reports as well?
A: The “Inactive Worker with Caseloads” report in Salesforce is currently only available to County Administrators through the Action Launcher Section. Managers and Supervisors do not have access to this report. As a note, “Manager” is not used as a permission type. This report isn’t available in Tableau for supervisors unless they learn how to create it.
Q: Is there a possibility that pulling certain reports can be added as a permission so this can be granted to those Supervisors and Managers in the office?
A: At this time, Supervisors and Data Analysts will be able to view all CWS-CARES reports in Tableau. There are other areas of the system that have reports in Salesforce that are only accessible to County Administrators.
Q: What are examples of External Workers in CWS-CARES?
A: Examples of External Workers are Probation and Family First Prevention Services Acf (FFPSA) Workers.
Q: In CWS-CARES, do counties need to add the county assigned Object ID somewhere?
A: The Project is planning to reuse the Object ID. As such, the only time the Object ID would need to be entered is for the creation of a new user.
Q: What is the process for administrators transferring a worker from one office and unit to another where the worker will retain their existing caseload?
A: A user must be added to the new unit in the new office and then end dated from the previous office. The bulk transfer process can then be used to move the entire caseload.
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: If there is a need to decommission or close an office, does CWS-CARES provide the functionality to terminate all user accounts under that office and close/inactivate the office?
A: CWS-CARES will not allow an office to be closed until all users within the office’s units have been transferred to the units of an open office or a user has been end-dated. CWS-CARES will notify an administrator if the office they are trying to close is an office housing units with existing active users. As a note, there isn't workload history at the office level, there are caseloads under units. If you are just updating an office address, it does not affect the history at all.