CWDS Bulletins

CARES SPOCs, Training Contacts, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, Training Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:

In preparation for CWS-CARES V1 Go-Live on December 7, 2026, the Project will offer Supplemental Training from October 26, 2026 through November 20, 2026, to reinforce key skills and provide targeted support in areas identified through county feedback. 

Training Opportunities

Micro-Learning Videos

• Short, on-demand “tips and tricks” videos focused on common questions and training needs.
• Topics will be informed by training surveys and feedback shared through Training, Information, Planning, and Sharing (TIPS) and County Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings.
• Videos will be added to the On-Demand Training Library as they become available, with updates communicated through the Weekly Digest.

Virtual Training Office Hours

• Topic-specific sessions will include a trainer-led demonstration followed by Q&A, with support from Program SMEs providing practice expertise and insight into day-to-day application.
• Topics will focus on areas where users have requested support, including workarounds, CWS-CARES navigation, Health and Education Passport (HEP), and other key processes.
• Sessions will be recorded and added to the On-Demand Training Library.
• Users are encouraged to practice applicable workflows in Production Simulation.

Targeted ILT Make-Up Sessions

• Virtual Instructor-Led Training (ILT) will be available for organizations that were unable to complete training during the original ILT window.
• The Project is developing a co-training model that incorporates practice expertise to strengthen learning.
• Scheduling will be coordinated through Organization Training Coordinators.

Next Steps

Additional planning is underway and more information, including schedules, session topics, and links to training resources, will be shared before Supplemental Training begins on October 26.

Action Required

Please contact the CWS-CARES Training Team with questions.

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Security Protocols for Prod Sim Case Data

The Prod Sim environment contains converted CWS/CMS cases reflecting actual system data as of April 17, 2026. Because this includes real, sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII), all case information must be strictly protected or redacted.

To protect CWS-CARES case data, please follow these important security guidelines when working with our support teams:

• Redact Ticket Info: Do not send Protected Health Information (PHI), PII, or confidential case details to the Service Desk via email or ticket. Sensitive and confidential data cannot be stored in the ticketing system.
• Secure Screen Shares: During support-requested screen shares, limit attendees to essential personnel only. Recording of sensitive information is strictly prohibited.
• Consult for Tier 3 Transfers: If Tier 3 support needs sensitive data, use secure transmission methods. Contact your county Privacy Officer or the CWDS ISO if you need assistance with secure routing.

Please contact the Customer Relations mailbox for questions.

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

October 5, 2026 UPDATE: The automated process to end‑date inactive CWS/CMS user logins continues for October. The new reports, titled ‘SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-10-05.xlsx’, were generated and saved to SAFE on Monday, October 5, 2026. REMINDER: This report lists CWS/CMS user accounts that have been inactive for the previous 90 days.

Please review your organization’s report, saved in the SAFE folder. Organizations that do not have any potential accounts to end‑date in their report will, instead, find the following statement, “NO ROWS FOR DATA QUALITY CLEANSE”.

If needed, up to ten (10) listed accounts may be requested to be excluded from the automated end‑date process. Please submit your exclusion file by Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM, to request listed user logins from being end-dated when the process runs on Saturday, October 24, 2026. If more than ten (10) user logins are needed to be excluded, please send your justification to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox (CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov). The justification will be forwarded to the review team for consideration. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

CWS/CMS User IDs that need to be reactivated following the automated end‑date process can be accomplished by contacting the IBM Help Desk at 800-428-8268. Please note that the process to reactivate the accounts is complex and does take one or two weeks to be completed by the IBM team. However, in order to expedite this timeline, it is important when calling in the ticket to explain the reason the user ID login was end dated was due to SCR 9039. User accounts from the reports that are logged in prior to Friday, October 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM, will not be end‑dated in the automated process on October 24, 2026.

All User ID accounts, both active and inactive, will be migrated to CWS-CARES. End-dated User ID accounts that need to be reactivated in CWS-CARES can be completed by the Administrators within CWS-CARES. This process will be much more direct and easier to complete in CWS-CARES than it is currently accomplished in CWS/CMS.

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September 9, 2026 UPDATE: The automated process to end‑date inactive CWS/CMS user logins continues for September. The new reports, titled ‘SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-09-09.xlsx’, were generated and saved to SAFE on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. REMINDER: This report lists CWS/CMS user accounts that have been inactive for the previous 90 days.

Please review your organization’s report, saved in the SAFE folder. Organizations that do not have any potential accounts to end‑date in their report will, instead, find the following statement, “NO ROWS FOR DATA QUALITY CLEANSE”.

If needed, up to ten (10) listed accounts may be requested to be excluded from the automated end‑date process. Please submit your exclusion file by Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 5:00 PM, to request listed user logins from being end-dated when the process runs on Saturday, September 26, 2026. If more than ten (10) user logins are needed to be excluded, please send your justification to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox (CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov). The justification will be forwarded to the review team for consideration. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

As stated in the attached SCR 9039 FAQ document, CWS/CMS User IDs that need to be reactivated following the automated end‑date process can be accomplished by contacting the IBM Help Desk at 800-428-8268. Please note that the process to reactivate the accounts is complex and does take one or two weeks to be completed by the IBM team. However, in order to expedite this timeline, it is important when calling in the ticket to explain the reason the user ID login was end dated was due to SCR 9039. User accounts from the reports that are logged in prior to Friday, September 25, 2026, at 5:00 PM, will not be end‑dated in the automated process on September 26, 2026.

All User ID accounts, both active and inactive, will be migrated to CWS-CARES. End-dated User ID accounts that need to be reactivated in CWS-CARES can be completed by the Administrators within CWS-CARES. This process will be much more direct and easier to complete in CWS-CARES than it is currently accomplished in CWS/CMS.

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August 3, 2026 UPDATE: The automated process to end‑date inactive CWS/CMS user logins has resumed, after pausing for the previous two months. The new reports, titled ‘SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-08-03.xlsx’, were generated and saved to SAFE on Monday, August 3, 2026. REMINDER: This report lists CWS/CMS user accounts that have been inactive for the previous 90 days.

Please review your organization’s report, saved in the SAFE folder. Organizations that do not have any potential accounts to end‑date in their report will, instead, find the following statement, “NO ROWS FOR DATA QUALITY CLEANSE”.

If needed, up to ten (10) listed accounts may be requested to be excluded from the automated end‑date process. Please submit your exclusion file by Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 5:00 PM, to request listed user logins from being end-dated when the process runs on Saturday, August 22, 2026. If more than ten (10) user logins are needed to be excluded, please send your justification to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox (CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov). The justification will be forwarded to the review team for consideration. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

As stated in the attached SCR 9039 FAQ document, CWS/CMS User IDs that need to be reactivated following the automated end‑date process can be accomplished by contacting the IBM Help Desk at 800-428-8268. Please note that the process to reactive the accounts is complex and does take one or two weeks to be completed by the IBM team. However, in order to expedite this timeline, it is important when calling in the ticket to explain the reason the user ID login was end dated was due to SCR 9039. User accounts from the reports that are logged in prior to Friday, August 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM, will not be end‑dated in the automated process on May 23, 2026.

All User ID accounts, both active and inactive, will be migrated to CWS-CARES. End-dated User ID accounts that need to be reactivated in CWS-CARES can be completed by the Administrators within CWS-CARES. This process will be much more direct and easier to complete in CWS-CARES than it is currently accomplished in CWS/CMS.

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June 9, 2026 UPDATE: The automated process to end-date inactive CWS/CMS user accounts will not run in June or July. The reports will resume in August, tentatively planned for August 3, 2026.

An additional update will be issued after the new reports are run and prepared for review.

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May 7, 2026 UPDATE: The automated process to end‑date inactive CWS/CMS user logins continues in May. The new reports were generated and saved to SAFE on Thursday, May 7, 2026. The SAFE file is titled, “SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-05-07.xlsx.” REMINDER: this is the first month will list CWS/CMS user accounts that have been inactive for the previous 90 days.

Please review your organization’s report, saved in the SAFE folder. Organizations that do not have any potential accounts to end‑date in their report will, instead, find the following statement, “NO ROWS FOR DATA QUALITY CLEANSE”.

If needed, up to ten (10) listed accounts may be requested to be excluded from the automated end‑date process. Please submit your exclusion file by Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM, to request listed user logins from being end-dated when the process runs on Saturday, May 23, 2026. If more than ten (10) user logins are needed to be excluded, please send your justification to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox (CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov). The justification will be forwarded to the review team for consideration. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

As stated in the attached SCR 9039 FAQ document, CWS/CMS User IDs that need to be reactivated following the automated end‑date process can be accomplished by contacting the IBM Help Desk at 800-428-8268. Please note that the process to reactive the accounts is complex and does take one or two weeks to be completed by the IBM team. However, in order to expedite this timeline, it is important when calling in the ticket to explain the reason the user ID login was end dated was due to SCR 9039. User accounts from the reports that are logged in prior to Friday, May 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM, will not be end‑dated in the automated process on May 23, 2026.

All User ID accounts, both active and inactive, will be migrated to CWS-CARES. End-dated User ID accounts that need to be reactivated in CWS-CARES can be completed by the Administrators within CWS-CARES. This process will be much more direct and easier to complete in CWS-CARES than it is currently accomplished in CWS/CMS.

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April 7, 2026 UPDATE: After a one-month hiatus for March, the automated process to end‑date inactive CWS/CMS user logins has resumed for April. The new reports were generated and saved to SAFE on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. The SAFE file is titled, “SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-04-07.xlsx.” REMINDER: this is the final month that the report will list CWS/CMS user accounts that have been inactive for the previous 180 days. Beginning in May, the reports will list accounts that have been inactive for 90 days.

Please review your organization’s report, saved in the SAFE folder. Organizations that do not have any potential accounts to end‑date in their report will, instead, find the following statement, “NO ROWS FOR DATA QUALITY CLEANSE”.

If needed, up to ten (10) listed accounts may be requested to be excluded from the automated end‑date process. Only a few organizations currently have more than ten (10) accounts listed. Please submit your exclusion file by Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM, to request listed user logins from being end-dated when the process runs on Saturday, April 25, 2026. If more than ten (10) user logins are needed to be excluded, please send your justification to the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox (CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov). The justification will be forwarded to the review team for consideration. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

As stated in the attached SCR 9039 FAQ document, CWS/CMS User IDs that need to be reactivated following the automated end‑date process can be accomplished by contacting the IBM Help Desk at 800-428-8268. Please note that the process to reactive the accounts is complex and does take one or two weeks to be completed by the IBM team. User accounts from the reports that are logged in prior to Friday, April 24, 2026, at 5:00 PM, will not be end‑dated in the automated process on April 25, 2026.

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March 5, 2026 UPDATE: The CWDS Project has decided to not run the automated process to end-date inactive CWS/CMS user logins during March. The monthly process will resume in April. The next reports will be sent to the SAFE folder approximately April 7, 2026.

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February 18, 2026 UPDATE: This is a reminder to submit an exclusion file, if needed, by Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 5:00 PM to prevent up to ten (10) user logins from being end-dated. No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided.

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February 11, 2026 UPDATE:  As presented at the February 10, 2026 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting, we are sharing the updated SCR 9039 FAQ document for your reference.   

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February 6, 2026 UPDATE: Based on received feedback, the reports are being updated for the following criteria:

Report criteria:

Identifies CWS/CMS user logins that have not been used in the past 180 days 

However, users are omitted from the report if they fall into one of these two categories:

1. Have NOT logged into CWS/CMS within the previous 180 days, but HAVE logged into CARES-Live within the previous 180 days.
2. The User ID has been created within the previous 90 days, and has NOT logged into CWS/CMS.

Updated reports, using the new criteria listed above, will be made available in SAFE in the FromOSI folder no later than 5:00 PM, on Friday, February 6, 2026, titled: 
SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-02-06.xlsx. 

Please use this updated report when reviewing the list of user logins identified for deactivation.

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To prepare for CWS-CARES Mock Cycles and Production Simulation, the CWS-CARES Project will begin an automated process to end-date inactive CWS/CMS user logins. This effort helps ensure that only active users are set up with access in CWS-CARES. 

This process identifies CWS/CMS user logins that have not been used in the past 180 days and schedules those logins to be end-dated. This is standard account cleanup intended to reduce inactive or outdated system access as counties prepare for CWS-CARES. 

What This Means for Counties 

• This activity affects system access only. There are no impacts to caseloads, staff roles, office assignments, or authority. 
• User logins associated with an active County License Case (CLC) are excluded from the report. 
• All user accounts (active and inactive) will still be carried forward to CWS-CARES. 

County Review and Option to Exclude User Logins  

Counties will have an opportunity to review the list of user logins identified for deactivation. To accommodate staff on extended leave (such as administrative or maternity leave), counties may exclude up to 10 user logins from deactivation, if needed. 

A report will be available in SAFE in the FromOSI folder on February 2, 2026, titled: 
SCR9039_END-DATE_USERID_2026-02-02.xlsx. 

If your county wishes to exclude user logins: 

1. Use the Excel file provided. 
2. Keep only the rows (up to 10) for user logins you want excluded. 
3. Do not modify the file layout or formatting. 
4. Upload the file to SAFE in the ToOSI folder. 

If more than 10 exclusions are needed, please contact CWDS Customer Relations and include a brief explanation. 

Deadline: February 19 at 5:00 PM 
Files received after this deadline will not be accepted, and all user logins listed in the original report will be end-dated. 

Timing and Ongoing Process 

• This first run will process and end-date User IDs on February 21, 2026. 
• The 180-day inactivity threshold will remain in place through April 2026, giving counties additional time to review the list and adjust to new processes. 
• Beginning May, the inactivity threshold will change to 90 days, consistent with CWS-CARES access policy and the Production Simulation environment. 
• After February, this process will occur monthly until the transition to CWS-CARES: 
• Reports will be posted after the first weekend of each month 
• User logins will be deactivated during the fourth weekend of the month 
• Counties will receive advance notice of specific dates 

Restoring a User Login 

If a user login is end-dated and later needs to be restored, counties may submit a Help Desk ticket to reinstate the existing login and associated staff access. 

Action Required 

• Review the report of inactive CWS/CMS user logins when it becomes available in SAFE. 
• Submit an exclusion file (if needed) by February 19 at 5:00 PM to prevent up to 10 user logins from being end-dated. 
• No action is required if your county agrees with the list as provided. 

For questions or concerns, please contact the CWDS Customer Relations mailbox. 

All Pilot County RFA Implementation Coordinators and SPOCs:

The CWS-CARES team has scheduled maintenance activity for the CWS-CARES production environment for Monday, October 5, 2026, beginning at 9:00 PM and concluding at 11:00 PM. During the maintenance window, the CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process will be accessible for pilot counties Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara.  

There is no anticipated impact for CWS-CARES users. We are sharing this information in the unlikely circumstance that there is an actual impact during the scheduled maintenance window and the CWS-CARES application becomes inaccessible.
 

Action Required

No action required from end-users during this maintenance window.

If users experience any issues with the CWS-CARES, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CWS-CARES County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at CWDS Service Desk during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts in Mariposa County:

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled maintenance, beginning on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 11:00 PM, and concluding on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 5:00 AM. Users at the listed site may experience interruptions in connectivity to CWS/CMS and CARES-Live within the scheduled Verizon maintenance window.

Remote access (e.g., Server Based Computing [SBC]) to the CWS/CMS application will not be impacted by this scheduled maintenance.
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Service Desk Bulletin
Subject: CGEN Verizon Scheduled Maintenance
Reference Number:	Change Request CHG0094059
Event Date/Time:	10/02/2026 @ 11:00 PM
Start Date/Time:	10/02/2026 @ 11:00 PM
End Date/Time:	10/03/2026 @ 05:00 AM
Summary: CGEN vendor Verizon will be performing scheduled network maintenance. The listed customer site may experience downtime within the 6 hour window during the Verizon scheduled maintenance.
Action Requested: Customer is encouraged to verify access to their applications after vendor maintenance is completed.
Who is Affected: Office of Systems Integration (4963 10th Street, Mariposa 95338 / 5362 Lemee Lane, Mariposa 95338) Department of Health Care Services (4963 10th Street, Mariposa 95338)
What to Expect: The listed customer site may experience downtime within the 6 hour window during the Verizon scheduled maintenance.
If you have questions or comments regarding this bulletin, please contact the 24/7 Data Center Service Desk at (916) 464-4311 or Service.Desk@state.ca.gov.

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Action Required

CWS/CMS Users

If users experience any issues with CWS/CMS, please follow your county process for reporting issues, or you may contact the IBM Boulder Help Desk at 1-800-428-8268.

CARES-Live Users

Please follow your county process for reporting issues. CARES-Live County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at CWDS Service Desk during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.

 

CARES SPOCs, Technical Contacts, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:

We are providing an update on the timing of the CWS-CARES support model transition. The Project previously shared plans to transition several support functions to the new CWS-CARES Help Desk beginning September 30. Following the adjustment of the CWS-CARES V1 Go-Live date to December 7, 2026, this transition will no longer take effect on September 30.

Counties should continue using current support channels, including ServiceNow for Production Simulation (Prod Sim) support, until further notice.

The transition from ServiceNow to Salesforce Service Cloud is now anticipated for late October. Training, guidance, and updated transition details will be shared in advance to help support a smooth transition.

For questions, please contact Customer Relations.

Action Required

Please continue using the current support processes and share this update with appropriate staff.

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Security Protocols for Prod Sim Case Data

The Prod Sim environment contains converted CWS/CMS cases reflecting actual system data as of April 17, 2026. Because this includes real, sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII), all case information must be strictly protected or redacted.

To protect CWS-CARES case data, please follow these important security guidelines when working with our support teams:

• Redact Ticket Info: Do not send Protected Health Information (PHI), PII, or confidential case details to the Service Desk via email or ticket. Sensitive and confidential data cannot be stored in the ticketing system.
• Secure Screen Shares: During support-requested screen shares, limit attendees to essential personnel only. Recording of sensitive information is strictly prohibited.
• Consult for Tier 3 Transfers: If Tier 3 support needs sensitive data, use secure transmission methods. Contact your county Privacy Officer or the CWDS ISO if you need assistance with secure routing.

Please contact the Customer Relations mailbox for questions.

CWS-CARES Weekly Digest

CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:

In this Weekly Digest (click the link for more information):

• General
  • System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
  • One Week Left to Purchase from the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop!
  • Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #12 | CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #11 Recap
  • Reminder: Go-Live Support Plans Due September 30, 2026
  • New Fact Sheet Now Available: An Introduction to County Forms Development and Conversion
  • The September 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available
• Training
  • CWS-CARES Probation Training Now Eligible for STC Credit
• Implementation
  • New Resource Posted: CWS-CARES BPR Delta Session Q&A 
  • New OCM Resource: Leadership Toolkit
• CWS-CARES Functionality
  • CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: September 28, 2026

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General 

System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub 

Every Monday, the CWS-CARES Project publishes new System Updates and Release Notes on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub on the CWDS website. All published updates are located on the System Updates & Release Notes tab in the left navigation bar. Below is a summary of the most recent release.

CWS‑CARES Weekly Release Summary: September 21, 2026

The September 21 release delivered several corrections and improvements across the CWS-CARES system:

• 110 defect fixes improving reliability, accuracy, and user experience across case management, resource management, intake and investigation, and courts.
• Multiple ServiceNow incidents resolved across Santa Clara, Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sonoma, Placer, Kings, San Joaquin, Mendocino, and others.
• High‑level updates across Adoption, Permanency, and Placement, Case Management, Screening, Investigations, and Courts, Prevention Services, FFPSA, and Federal Reporting, Resource Family, RFA, Recruitment, and Resource Management, Shared Services, Person Search, Profiles, and Access
• 27 data conversion fixes addressing absence records, allegations and dispositions, child location, court work items, organization details, persons, collateral, and attendees, presumptive transfer dates, rate records, removal information, team meetings, and unit‑member values.
• 9 county‑reported data issues resolved from Humboldt, Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, Sonoma, Santa Clara, and San Diego.

Full details for last week’s release are available on the CWS‑CARES Production Simulation Hub.

Upcoming Release Information

System Updates & Release Notes will continue to be published every Monday. The September 28 System Updates & Release Notes will appear on the CWS-CARES Production Simulation Hub on once it is officially posted.

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One Week Left to Purchase from the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop!  

There’s still time to order from the CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #3! The shop will remain open until end of day on Friday, October 2, 2026. Place your orders at: CWS-CARES Pop-Up Shop #3 | Order Now.

Currently, only the Curvaceous Matte Silver Ballpoint pen has met the minimum order total required for production. The Gildan Ultra Cotton T-Shirt and Non-Woven Tote Bag are close to meeting the required minimums. We encourage all stakeholders to consider making a purchase before October 2 to build excitement for CWS-CARES. Items that do not meet the minimum totals will be removed from orders and not charged.

The shop is open to all 58 California counties, Tribes, and partner organizations. CWS-CARES branded items are available for purchase using your own funds. For ordering and shipping details, please reference the Pop Up Shop 3 FAQs and Item Selection flyer.

Please contact CWDS Customer Relations with any questions. Happy shopping!

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Registration Open for Stakeholder Briefing #12 | CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #11 Recap

CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #11 – September 23, 2026: 

Thank you to everyone who attended CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #11 on Wednesday, September 23, 2026! We were pleased to have 336 participants across 42 counties and over 4+ partner organizations join the session live. We also received 52 questions during the session, which we are working to answer and share with you as soon as possible. 

The session recording is now available on the Stakeholder Webinar Materials page under Stakeholder Briefing #11.

Please log in with your county or organization email address to view the recording. An accessible PDF of the presentation slides and a summary of the session Q&A will be available in the coming weeks in the same location. 

CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12 – October 21, 2026: 

Registration is now open for the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing! We encourage you to attend Stakeholder Briefing #12 on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Register now. Note: A separate calendar invitation will not be sent by the CWS-CARES Project. Please manually add the .ics attachment (which is a digital calendar file format) in the registration confirmation email to your calendar. 

All stakeholders are welcome to attend. Updates will include: 

• Preparing for Go-Live
• Project Status Update
• Implementation Update
• Feature & Functionality Fixes

View the full agenda on CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12: October 2026. We hope to see you on October 21, 2026! 

Please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov with any questions.

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Reminder: Go-Live Support Plans Due September 30, 2026

A reminder that Organization Go‑Live Support Plans are due on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

Implementation Teams are asked to review the Go Live Support Plan template provided by their Implementation Lead and complete any required customization.

What’s Needed:

• Open and review the template shared by your Implementation Lead
• Customize the plan to reflect your organization’s structure, local processes, and staffing
• Establish clear Tier 1 support coverage for Day 1 of CWS-CARES Go Live
• Confirm points of contact, escalation pathways, and local support roles

Why This Matters:

Each organization needs a clear, prepared support model in place, so staff are fully supported on Day 1 of CWS-CARES.

Need Help?

Your Implementation Lead is available to answer questions and assist with any customization needs.

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New Fact Sheet Now Available: An Introduction to County Forms Development and Conversion

The CWS-CARES Project Team has released a new fact sheet providing an introductory guide to County Forms Development and Conversion in CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1). The fact sheet provides an overview of the forms migration process and key information to support county readiness ahead of Go-Live.

The fact sheet covers the following topics:

• Building Forms: All forms and reports required for business processes will be developed by November 13, 2026. The Project recommends using Production Simulation (CARES100) to build and test forms against real, converted data. Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is the recommended tool for building and editing forms in CWS-CARES.
• Validating Forms: Available forms should be validated before Go-Live to ensure they are ready for county use. County Forms Authors and Prod Sim users are encouraged to practice using and reviewing forms against converted data in Prod Sim.
• Migrating Forms: Once forms are developed and validated in Prod Sim, counties determine which forms are ready for production. The Project will then migrate those forms to CARES V1.
• Maintaining and Updating Forms After Go-Live: The Project will release additional statewide forms periodically after CARES V1 Go-Live, with counties participating in testing phases coordinated by the Project.

For more information, please see the Introduction to Forms Conversion and Validation in CWS-CARES resource on the CWDS website.

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The September 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available 

The CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summaries provide a concise overview of the collaborative efforts and achievements of CWS-CARES. The September Progress and Engagement Summary features engagement analytics for the August 2026 reporting period across the following subject areas: 

• CWS-CARES Communications
• Stakeholder Briefing #10 – August 2026
• Forms and Data
• External Systems, Interfaces, and Analytics
• Implementation, OCM, and Training
• Production Simulation
• Resources Available on the CWDS Website

View all CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summaries on the CWDS website: CWS CARES Progress and Engagement Updates. 

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Training 

CWS-CARES Probation Training Now Eligible for STC Credit 

The CWS-CARES Project is pleased to share that the CWS-CARES Probation Instructor-Led Training (ILT) is now certified for Standards and Training Corrections (STC) credit through the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC). The STC certification number is 09401669, and the training is approved for 8 hours of STC credit.

Probation ILT began September 21 and runs daily through October 20. Probation staff are encouraged to register and participate in these sessions to build familiarity with CWS-CARES while earning STC credit.

For full details, including CACWT account creation instructions and how to confirm access to the Training Environment (CARES104), visit the CWS-CARES: Probation Training Now Eligible for STC Credit article within the CWDS page.

Please contact the CWS-CARES Training mailbox for questions.

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Implementation 

New Resource Posted: CWS-CARES BPR Delta Session Q&A  

Thank you to all Organizations that participated in the CWS‑CARES Business Process Re‑engineering (BPR) Delta Sessions. We truly appreciate your engagement, openness, and your willingness to explore the Change Impacts. 

During these sessions, participants raised a number of thoughtful questions and sought clarification on several statewide business change impacts. In response, the Implementation Team collaborated with Service Managers, County Consultants, and SMEs to gather responses to the questions gathered during the sessions. 

We are pleased to share that the BPR Delta Sessions – Consolidated Q&A file is now available on the CWS-CARES Implementation/Organizational Change Management Portal under the Business Process Re-engineering Session Materials section. This resource compiles responses across both the All Change Impacts and Probation tabs of the worksheet and is designed to support Organizations as they review upcoming changes and begin internal readiness conversations. 

What’s Included: 

• A consolidated set of Q&A from all Delta Session follow‑ups 
• Clarifications on statewide workflow assumptions and operational impacts 
• Additional context to support Change Impact worksheet review and local planning 

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New OCM Resource: Leadership Toolkit 

We are excited to announce that the CWS-CARES Leadership Toolkit has been published on the CWS-CARES Organizational Change Management (OCM) page, within the Implementation Portal. This comprehensive resource is designed to support leaders through every step of the CWS-CARES transition. It provides practical tools, conversation guides, and support resources to help teams successfully navigate and adopt organizational changes resulting from the implementation of CWS-CARES Version 1.

Please Note: A few questions remain outstanding. As additional information becomes available, the document will be updated and reposted on the implementation portal.

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CWS-CARES Functionality 

CWS-CARES FAQ Spotlight: September 28, 2026 

This week, the CWS-CARES FAQ Spotlight features the CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week.

September 28, 2026, FAQ of the Week: 

Q: For Self-Paced courses, will Organizations determine who will take which learning path?

A: The Learning Paths include recommendations on which users, based on permissions, should take which Self-Paced courses. The Organizations will make the final determination on who from their Organization needs to take which courses.

To view all of the CWS-CARES FAQs, please visit the CWDS website: CWS-CARES FAQs | CWDS Website.

Have a question? Send it to Customer Relations and we will be happy to help.

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Share Your Feedback and Subscribe

Thank you for following our progress! Share your feedback on this CWS-CARES Weekly Digest here: CWS-CARES Weekly Digest Feedback Form. Subscribe to future issues here: CWS-CARES Weekly Digest Subscription Form.

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Action Required: We request that all CWS-CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) and Implementation Coordinators coordinate and distribute the CWS-CARES Weekly Digest to all staff impacted by CWS-CARES, at their discretion.

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Security Protocols for Prod Sim Case Data

The Prod Sim environment contains converted CWS/CMS cases reflecting actual system data as of April 17, 2026. Because this includes real, sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII), all case information must be strictly protected or redacted.

To protect CWS-CARES case data, please follow these important security guidelines when working with our support teams:

• Redact Ticket Info: Do not send Protected Health Information (PHI), PII, or confidential case details to the Service Desk via email or ticket. Sensitive and confidential data cannot be stored in the ticketing system.
• Secure Screen Shares: During support-requested screen shares, limit attendees to essential personnel only. Recording of sensitive information is strictly prohibited.
• Consult for Tier 3 Transfers: If Tier 3 support needs sensitive data, use secure transmission methods. Contact your county Privacy Officer or the CWDS ISO if you need assistance with secure routing.

We appreciate your dedication to protecting the safety and privacy of vulnerable children and families while we work together to support your needs.

Probation Leadership and Probation Points of Contact:

September 24, 2026 - UPDATE: The STC certification number is 09401669, and the training is approved for 8 hours of STC credit. If there are any questions about receiving STC credit, please contact the CWS-CARES Training mailbox.

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September 22, 2026:

We are pleased to share that CWS-CARES Probation Instructor-Led Training (ILT) is now certified for Standards and Training for Corrections (STC) credit through the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC).

Probation ILT began September 21 and runs daily through October 20.

Probation staff are encouraged to register and participate in these sessions to build familiarity with CWS-CARES while earning STC credit.

CACWT Account Creation Update 

To support registration for CWS-CARES Probation ILT, Juvenile Probation staff can now self-register for a CACWT account using the new Juvenile Probation CACWT Self Registration page.

Step-by-step self-registration instructions are available at: CACWT Self-Enrollment Instructions

Please share these resources with probation staff who have not yet created a CACWT account.

Confirm Your Access to the Training Environment (CARES104)

Before attending ILT, please confirm that you can access Training (CARES104): Training (CARES104).

Thank you for your continued participation and support as we prepare for CWS-CARES V1 Go-Live.

Please contact the CWS-CARES Training mailbox for questions.

 

Action Required:

Please share this communication with probation staff.

ALL SPOCs, Technical Contacts and CAD Contacts:

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled monthly Microsoft security patching. The patching begins on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 6:00 PM and concludes on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 1:00 AM. The activity may cause interruptions to the Business Objects (BO) servers within the patching window. The expected impact to users is low; however, there is a potential to cause some BO reports to fail to send, or automated scripts may fail to retrieve.
______________________________

Service Desk Bulletin
Subject: Windows Monthly Patching
Reference Number:	CHG0083237
Event Date/Time:	Friday, 10/16/2026 @ 06:00 PM
Start Date/Time:	Friday, 10/16/2026 @ 06:00 PM
End Date/Time:	Saturday, 10/17/2026 @ 01:00 AM
Summary: CDT will perform monthly Microsoft security patching and preventative maintenance on all Windows servers hosted at the Gold Camp and Vacaville campuses.  During this time, all Windows servers will be rebooted. Please note that this activity occurs within the Preventative Maintenance and Patching Schedules | CDT Services (ca.gov).
Who is Affected: All customers using Windows Hosting Managed Services.
What to Expect: Windows servers will reboot.
If you have questions or comments regarding this bulletin, please contact the 24/7 Department of Technology Service Desk at (916) 464-4311 or ServiceDesk@state.ca.gov.

______________________________

Action Required

Review scheduled BO reports and reschedule report jobs to avoid the scheduled maintenance window. Rerun the missed report jobs, if necessary.

Contact the IBM Help Desk (800-428-8268) to report any issues with your Business Objects content.

CARES SPOCs, Technical Contacts, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:

In preparation for CWS-CARES Production Go-Live on December 7, 2026, we request that all counties and organizations identify the net new permissions required for their users by October 30, 2026, at 1:00 PM.

We are also offering an optional opportunity for organizations to preview these net new permissions in the Production Simulation (CARES100) environment along with the data refresh scheduled for October 11, 2026. Organizations opting to participate in this early review must submit their completed spreadsheets by Friday, October 9, 2026, at 1:00 PM.

Key Deadlines & Submission Process

• Optional Early Review Deadline: Friday, October 9, 2026, at 1:00 PM
  • Submitting by this date allows net new permissions to be converted and reviewed along with refreshed data in the Production Simulation (CARES100) environment.
  • Note: No extensions can be granted for the optional deadline.

• Final Submission Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026, at 1:00 PM
• Submission Guidelines:
  • Email submissions will not be accepted.
  • Counties will use a single spreadsheet (CountyName_CARESPermission.xlsx) for both deadlines.
  • Spreadsheets will be retrieved from the “CARES User Onboarding Preparation Microsoft Teams channel at 1:00 PM on October 9, 2026, for the Prod Sim (CARES100) build.

Template and Permission Rules

• Please use your county’s assigned template (CountyName_CARESPermission.xlsx), located in your county’s folder within the CARES User Onboarding Preparation Microsoft Teams channel. Membership in this channel is required for access.
  • Child Welfare and Probation teams must use the same county or organization file.
• This request will only add NEW CARES-specific permissions and override authorities to existing CWS/CMS profiles. Refer to the New Permissions tab in the template for available options.
• Core user attributes (offices, units, caseloads, assignment desks, unit inboxes, CWS/CMS permissions, and records) will migrate automatically during data conversion. Any manual edits made to these specific fields in the template will be discarded since the source of truth is CWS/CMS.

Action Requested:

Please update and save your county’s CountyName_CARESPermission.xlsx spreadsheet in the designated Microsoft Teams channel according to the schedule below:

• Optional Production Simulation (CARES 100) Deadline: Friday, October 9, 2026 by 1PM.
• Final Submission Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026, by 1:00 PM

Formatting Instructions

1. Include one user per row with First Name, Last Name, and Email Address.
2. Enter only new CWS-CARES Worker permissions and override access
3. Separate multiple permissions using a semicolon (;) and no spaces before or after the semicolon.
4. Avoid duplicate access levels. Higher-level roles override lower ones - do not list both (e.g., Supervisor permission supersedes Worker; Read/Write override supersedes Read).

Formatting Examples

• Worker Permission: CalSAWS Readonly User;form author;RFA worker
• Override Access: AAP County-wide read;Adoption County-wide read/write

Kickoff and Office Hours Schedule

Two Permission Kickoff meetings and office hour sessions will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. To protect sensitive and production-level data, these sessions will NOT be recorded. Direct calendar invitations will not be distributed; counties and organizations should review the schedule and determine which sessions their staff should attend.

Net New Permission Kickoff Meetings:

• Session 1: Monday, September 28, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Join Microsoft Teams Kickoff Session 1
• Session 2: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM: Join Microsoft Teams Kickoff Session 2

Office Hours:

Office hours for the following week will be posted on the “CARES User Onboarding Preparation” Microsoft Teams channel: CARES User Onboarding Preparation | CWDS Org Share

Office Hours for September 28, 2026 – October 2, 2026

• Monday, September 28, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM: Join the Microsoft Teams Office Hours 
• Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Join the Microsoft Teams Office Hours
• Thursday, October 1, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Join the Microsoft Teams Office Hours

To protect sensitive and production-level data, these sessions will NOT be recorded.

Thank you for your continued collaboration as we transition to CWS-CARES.

Please contact Customer Relations for questions.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Security Protocols for Prod Sim Case Data

The Prod Sim environment contains converted CWS/CMS cases reflecting actual system data as of April 17, 2026. Because this includes real, sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII), all case information must be strictly protected or redacted.

To protect CWS-CARES case data, please follow these important security guidelines when working with our support teams:

• Redact Ticket Info: Do not send Protected Health Information (PHI), PII, or confidential case details to the Service Desk via email or ticket. Sensitive and confidential data cannot be stored in the ticketing system.
• Secure Screen Shares: During support-requested screen shares, limit attendees to essential personnel only. Recording of sensitive information is strictly prohibited.
• Consult for Tier 3 Transfers: If Tier 3 support needs sensitive data, use secure transmission methods. Contact your county Privacy Officer or the CWDS ISO if you need assistance with secure routing.

We appreciate your dedication to protecting the safety and privacy of vulnerable children and families while we work together to support your needs.

All SPOCs and Technical Contacts in Mariposa County:

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled maintenance, beginning on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 11:00 PM, and concluding on Friday, September 25, 2026, at 3:00 AM. Users at the listed site will experience interruptions in connectivity to CWS/CMS and CARES-Live within the scheduled Verizon maintenance window.

Remote access (e.g., Server Based Computing [SBC]) to the CWS/CMS application will not be impacted by this scheduled maintenance.
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Service Desk Bulletin
Subject: CGEN Verizon Scheduled Maintenance
Reference Number:	Change Request CHG0093832
Event Date/Time:	09/24/2026 @ 11:00 PM
Start Date/Time:	09/24/2026 @ 11:00 PM
End Date/Time:	09/25/2026 @ 03:00 AM
Summary: CGEN vendor Verizon will be performing scheduled network maintenance. The listed customer site may experience downtime within the 4 hour window during the Verizon scheduled maintenance.
Action Requested: Customer is encouraged to verify access to their applications after vendor maintenance is completed.
Who is Affected: Office of Systems Integration (5362 Lemee Lane, Mariposa 95338 / 4963 10th Street, Mariposa 95338)
What to Expect: The listed customer site may experience downtime within the 4 hour window during the Verizon scheduled maintenance.
If you have questions or comments regarding this bulletin, please contact the 24/7 Data Center Service Desk at (916) 464-4311 or Service.Desk@state.ca.gov.

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Action Required

CWS/CMS Users

If users experience any issues with CWS/CMS, please follow your county process for reporting issues, or you may contact the IBM Boulder Help Desk at 1-800-428-8268.

CARES-Live Users

Please follow your county process for reporting issues. CARES-Live County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at CWDS Service Desk during normal business hours. You may also email after hours, and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.