CARES SPOCs, Technical Contacts, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
We are sharing important details regarding automatic system notification emails from the CWS-CARES Production Simulation environment (CARES100) and how this functionality may impact your staff.
Email Notification Schedule:
- Email notifications start September 14 through September 18. Users may start receiving CWS-CARES emails as early as September 12 as the feature is enabled during the release window.
- Email volume will be monitored through September 18. Based on system activity and feedback, automated emails may remain enabled through September 25 or longer.
- Users with an assigned role in the Production Simulation (CARES100) environment may receive email notifications from CWS-CARES even if they are not actively logging in or participating in Prod Sim activities.
- Please continue to consolidate details at the county level and submit findings and observations regarding email volume and functionality through the appropriate Regional Tiered Support channel.
- Further communications will be shared if these dates change.
Automated Email Triggers
While outgoing emails to external parties remain blocked, county users should expect potential automated system notification generated by Prod Sim (CARES100) activities. Common scenarios include:
- Assignment Updates: Notifications sent to workers or supervisors when primary or secondary assignment change.
- Approval Requests: Notifications triggered when a supervisor’s approval is requested.
- Task Assignments: System alerts generated for newly assigned tasks with an upcoming due date.
- RFA Portal or FFPSA Portal Account Activation: Welcome emails containing first-time login and password setup instructions sent when new user accounts are created.
Recognizing & Verifying CWS-CARES Emails
To help staff distinguish simulation emails, here are details on the messages:
- Emails will display the CWS-CARES logo with a red banner stating “Sandbox Not a live System.” as depicted in the picture:
Email Alert Message.pdf - The subject line will begin with “Sandbox:” and arrive from one of these addresses:
- System emails may include direct links to CWS-CARES records. If staff are uncertain about an email’s authenticity, they are not required to click the link and can instead log in to CWS-CARES directly and locate the record using its identifier.
- Staff who prefer to configure personal email filtering rules must set them up individually per local county guidelines.
If you or your staff have questions or need to verify an email from CWS-CARES, please reach out through your Regional Tiered Support channel. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.
Please contact the Customer Relations mailbox for questions.
Action Required
Please share this communication with your staff that are impacted by this information.
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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.