CWDS Glossary

Individuals or agencies with information that can assist the CW Worker in understanding the nature and extent of the alleged child abuse/neglect and in assessing the risk to, and safety of, the children. Collateral contacts include professionals working with the children or parents that have regular contact with the family (e.g., neighbors, teachers, parole officers, physicians, Department of Social Services, Tribes, Regional Centers, therapists, hospitals, and probation departments).

The (Go-Live) Command Center provides support to Organizations (Orgs) immediately after a Go-Live (RFA, V1, V2) for approximately two weeks. It will be led and staffed by the Implementation Team and project team members who are knowledgeable about application functionality, processes, and technical issues. Project teams that may provide Command Center support include CDSS, Product Development, Technical, and CWS-CARES Service Desk. Org users will follow the support process their Org already has in place but specific users from each Org will also have access to the Command Center for higher level assistance. Please refer to Ongoing Support for an understanding of support outside of the Command Center.

Software and hardware that already exists and is available from commercial sources. It is also referred to as off-the-shelf.

In the context of Intake, a contact that includes a request for information or an assertion received by a county employee via county access channel (e.g., telephone call to hotline, fax, written report, or in-person report) intended to receive suspected child abuse or neglect.  Questions, requests for services and other communications not involving allegations of suspected child abuse or neglect are addressed by the county but do not result in the creation of a referral. 

A communication theory of measurement in human service settings. The CANS is a multiple purpose information integration tool that is designed to be the output of an assessment process. Since the primary purpose of this tool is to better communicate with all parties involved in care, CANS is based on communication theory rather than psychometric theories of measure. The CANS philosophy includes six key principles to help you use the tool. 6 principles:

1. Each item is selected because it is relevant to the decision-making process. Only relevant information is included.
2. The level of each item translates into levels of action. The measure must not be arbitrary, everything has an immediate meaning and the meaning relevant to future action.
3. Describe the need, not the fact, which you are addressing. It is about the person, not the person in care.
4. Consider culture and development of the individual prior to establishing the level of measurement.
5. Items found in the CANS tool are descriptions and generally do not include attributions of cause.
6. Time frames for measurement are defined (30 days, 3 mos., 6 mos.) for relevance of observing change.

A communication theory of measurement in human service settings. The CANS is a multiple purpose information integration tool that is designed to be the output of an assessment process. Since the primary purpose of this tool is to better communicate with all parties involved in care, CANS is based on communication theory rather than psychometric theories of measure. The CANS philosophy includes six key principles to help you use the tool. 6 principles:

1. Each item is selected because it is relevant to the decision-making process. Only relevant information is included.
2. The level of each item translates into levels of action. The measure must not be arbitrary, everything has an immediate meaning and the meaning relevant to future action.
3. Describe the need, not the fact, which you are addressing. It is about the person, not the person in care.
4. Consider culture and development of the individual prior to establishing the level of measurement.
5. Items found in the CANS tool are descriptions and generally do not include attributions of cause.
6. Time frames for measurement are defined (30 days, 3 mos., 6 mos.) for relevance of observing change.

Community Care Licensing is a division of California Department of Social Services (CDSS).

Community Care Licensing Division Serves the most vulnerable people (i.e., children, elderly and disabled) of California and our mission is to promote the health, safety, and quality of life of each person in community care through the administration of an effective and collaborative regulatory enforcement system.

A residential facility that provides mental health treatment services to children in a group setting which has the capacity to provide secure containment. The facility's program components shall be subject to program standards developed and enforced by the State Department of Mental Health, pursuant to Section 4094 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

One or more allegations made that a resource family, licensed facility, or certified home is in violation of requirements for approval or licensure.

Evidence-based tools developed in California by Sphere Institute that provide critical decision-making support for social work practice which involves data collection strategies that support safety and risk assessment.