Frequently Asked Questions
Q: May we please get an update on the requirement that the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment (CANS) must be completed before Case Plan Service Objectives can be entered?
A: The intention is for case plans to be completed in alignment with the Child and Family Team, with the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment (CANS) serving as the community metric assessment. The outcome of the CANS score and the identified areas requiring the most focus become the drivers for the case plan. Although we understand there are times when the shell of a case plan, or the beginning of a case plan, needs to be developed before the CANS is completed, there are circumstances where this occurs. As a result, the Project is working on other options and workarounds. This is a very important issue, and the teams are actively working on a solution.
Q: When is the search function in CWS-CARES going to be enhanced? Currently users aren’t able to search by anything but name and that brings back too many results. Users can’t search by state ID, Social Security Number (SSN), or by CalSAWS case number.
A: Focused Search & Person search has been enhanced, and users can now search by IDs such as those mentioned above. You can also include addresses in your search parameters as well.
Q: In addition to a completed Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment (CANS), does the Child and Family Team (CFT) need to be held and uploaded into CWS-CARES for the case plan to be eligible for supervisor approval?
A: CFT and Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment (CANS) are not dependent on one another being completed. There isn’t any requirement to upload a CFT form as a part of Case Plan completion.
Q: May we please have a reminder outlining the expected items to continue testing in Mock cycles in Production Simulation?
A: Users are free to validate data at their own discretion, as there are no formal test cases to execute. For example, users may compare a record in CWS-CMS with the corresponding record in CWS-CARES Production Simulation to validate that the data matches. Based on county requests, resources will be available on the Production Simulation Hub, including EUST scenarios, navigation guides, walkthrough meeting recordings, and source-to-target mappings that detail source and target fields, as well as data transformations. In addition, Enablement Programs will become available to help guide users through the system.
Q: When will the Train-the-Trainer (TTT) training dates be solidified and provided to the counties?
A: Train-the-Trainer (TTT) will now be conducted from July 20 to August 28, 2026, shifted from the original July 6th to August 14 timeline.
Q: Can you briefly define "enablement" within CWS-CARES?
A: Enablement Programs in CWS-CARES are built-in, onscreen training guides that walk users through tasks with step-by-step instructions displayed on the right side of the screen. They help employees learn by doing, allowing them to follow the prompts directly inside the system as they complete real workflows.
Q: Is Probation still having to wait until August for Train-the-Trainer (TTT) and Pre-online training?
A: The Project Training team is meeting and working with CPOC on reviewing the training materials for Probation. Once those conversations are held and the information is available, the Project will be able to provide more details around probation specific training through a formal communication. The Project understands that probation is a unique process and wants to ensure all necessary parts of the work are covered.
Q: How will the trainers be available to begin end-user Instructor-led training beginning on August 3, 2026, if Train-the-Trainer (TTT) isn’t finishing until mid-August?
A: The Project is looking at the sessions for Train-the-Trainer (TTT) that occur in August and ensuring they don't overlap with those same organizations that will be starting end user training. The Project plans to have a staggered approach for this training program.
Q: How long is the Train-the-Trainer (TTT) training?
A: There are two groups for Train-the-Trainer (TTT) with a group of facilitators and trainers who will be helping deliver training prior to Go-Live. The facilitators in TTT will have a two-week program that completes all classroom curriculum in the first week, with the second week including opportunities on where they'll be scheduled to practice the teaching and understand how to deliver the materials.
Q: What is the anticipated schedule for end-user instructor led training, in terms of the number of days/hours, etc.?
A: This is going to vary across permissions. The Training team will send out learning paths with recommended classroom trainings and the time associated with them depending on the role you fall under.