CWS-CARES Weekly Digest - May 4, 2026

CARES SPOCs, Implementation Coordinators, OCM Coordinators, County Leadership, Tribe Leadership, Probation Leadership, and State Leadership:
  • Reminder: Register for CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 
  • Court Reports Development: Templates and Resources Update 
  • The April 2026 Progress and Engagement Summary is Now Available 
  • CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week 

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Reminder: Register for CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7

We encourage you to attend the next CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing on May 27, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PMAll stakeholders impacted by the changes to CWS-CARES are welcome to attend, ask questions, and hear updates from Project leadership. 

Register now atCWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 | RegistrationNote: A separate calendar invitation will not be sent by the CWS-CARES Project. Please manually add the .ics attachment in the registration confirmation email to your calendar. 

The full agenda for the May 2026 Stakeholder Briefing is available to view on the CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #7 Registration page. Updates will include: 

  • Implementation 
  • Extended User Scenario Testing 3 
  • Production Simulation 
  • Resource Family Approval (RFA) Portal Demonstration 

View the dates for all upcoming CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefings in 2026 on the Stakeholder Briefings and Webinars page on the CWDS website. 

Thank you for participating in our Stakeholder Briefing webinar series! We hope to see you on May 27, 2026 to continue the conversation on the upcoming transition to CWS-CARES. 

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Court Reports Development: Templates and Resources Update 

In February 2026, we shared that CWS-CARES introduces a new approach to court report development, providing base templates while giving counties flexibility to build and modify reports to meet local needs. See the communication here: CWS CARES: Changes to Court Reports Development

As of April 9, 2026, Court Report base templates are now available in the CWS-CARES application (CARES 102 environment) and can be used as a starting point for court report development if modification is needed. 

Forms Workgroup sessions have provided “how-to” demonstrations for county forms authors, with recordings available. 

The Court Reports Guide in the Forms Workgroup Teams channel provides a step-by-step guide for generating, updating, and validating court reports in CWS-CARES.  

For support, Form Authors can attend the Forms Authors Office Hours on Thursdays from 2–3 PM, or contact otsicwdscaresforms@otsi.ca.gov with any questions. 

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The April 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 CWS-CARES Progress and Engagement Summary | April 2026 features engagement analytics for the March 2026 reporting period across the following subject areas:  

  • Project Communications  
  • Core Constituent Demonstrations  
  • Forms and Data  
  • External Systems, Interfaces, and Analytics  
  • Implementation, OCM, and Training Activities  

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

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CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week

Each week, we highlight a common question from counties and partner organizations, along with a clear, practical answer to  help you better understand CWS-CARES functionality.  

May 4, 2026, FAQ of the Week: 

Q: If a client moves from one county to another, will imaged documents and associated data transfer automatically with the rest of the client’s data? 

A: Yes. In CWS-CARES, documents attached to a unit of work, such as a case, remain associated with that case. When the case is transferred from one county to another, the associated documents and relevant data remain linked to the case and are accessible to the receiving county. 

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 at CWS_CustRel@otsi.ca.gov and we’ll be happy to help.

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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