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
- Reminder: All Weekly Digests and Updates Available on Bulletin
- System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
- Reminder: Nine (9) Days Left to Register for CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12
- CWDS Glossary Updates – 3 New Terms Added!
- Implementation
- Updated OCM Resources
- Super User Readiness Meetings
- Readiness Checkpoint Four Completed
- Training
- Desk Guides for CWS-CARES Workarounds are Coming Soon
- Reminder: Probation Instructor-Led Training
- CWS-CARES Functionality
- CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: October 12, 2026
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General
Reminder: All Weekly Digests and Updates Available on Bulletin
Please note that the Weekly Digest and all other content, including the most recent updates on maintenance notices, and system releases, are available on the Bulletins page within the CWDS website.
If you have any questions, please contact Customer Relations for additional support.
System Updates & Release Notes on the Production Simulation Hub
As part of the planned CWS-CARES Production Simulation Data Refresh activity occurring from October 7 through October 18, the Production Simulation (CARES100) environment will be temporarily unavailable.
Because Prod Sim is offline throughout this refresh window, the CWS-CARES Project did not publish a release on Monday, October 5, 2026. The next set of System Updates & Release Notes will be issued when the environment is restored on Monday, October 19, 2026.
All previously published updates are available on the System Updates & Release Notes tab in the left navigation bar. A summary of the October 19 release will be included in the Weekly Digest following the environment’s return.
Reminder: Nine (9) Days Left to Register for CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12
Thank you to the 230+ stakeholders who have already registered for the next Stakeholder Briefing on Wednesday, October 21, 2026! If you’ve not yet registered, we encourage you to attend the live webinar on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. All stakeholders are welcome to attend, ask questions, and hear updates from Project leadership.
Register now at: CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12: October 2026. Note: 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 agenda for the October 2026 Stakeholder Briefing has been modified slightly to prioritize time for county questions. Session topics and times are now planned as follows:
- 10:30 AM - Project Status Update with Executive Leadership
- 10:45 AM - October Prod Sim Refresh: Features & Functionality Fixes
- 11:30 AM - Implementation Update
The full agenda is available on the CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing #12 Registration page.
Thank you for participating in our Stakeholder Briefing webinar series! We hope to see you on October 21, 2026 to continue the conversation on the upcoming transition to CWS-CARES.
The September Stakeholder Briefing #11 materials are now available on the Stakeholder Briefings and Webinars page of the CWDS website! Resources include the meeting recording, Q&A Summary, and presentation slides.
CWDS Glossary Updates – 3 New Terms Added!
The CWDS Glossary includes a list of acronyms and defined terms relevant to the CWS-CARES Project, searchable by keyword. Each term is defined within the context of CWS-CARES and updated regularly.
As of October 12, 2026, three new terms have been added to the CWDS Glossary:
- OKTA - Okta is a cloud-based identity and access management service that provides secure user authentication for applications. It helps organizations manage logins, user accounts, and access permissions across systems.
- Object ID - An Object ID is a unique identifier assigned to a user, group, application, or other object within an identity directory (such as Azure Active Directory). It is used by systems to reliably reference and manage that specific object.
- SSO - Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication method that allows users to log in once and then access multiple connected systems or applications without needing to re-enter their credentials. It improves security and simplifies the user experience.
Search the CWDS Glossary by keyword to learn more about CWS-CARES!
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Implementation
Updated OCM Resources
New and updated Organizational Change Management (OCM) resources have been added to the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal to support your readiness activities. The following materials are now available:
- Change Impacts Tracker: A log of documented changes introduced by CWS-CARES. This file also includes an Excel tab labeled “October 1, 2026 Update” with a concise description of changes since the last version for easy review.
- Key Legacy Terminology Crosswalk: A reference showing how legacy system terms compare to CWS-CARES terminology. This tool can be used with the Change Impacts Tracker to support consistent understanding and communication.
The Change Impacts Tracker and Terminology Crosswalk are updated monthly, as necessary, and the current versions are as of 10/1. Please take a moment to review these resources and share them with your teams as needed.
Super User Readiness Meetings
We are excited to announce the continuation of Super User Readiness Meetings. The existing meeting series will continue in its bi-weekly cadence through October 27, 2026. For more information, meeting materials, and Super User resources, please reference the Super User Readiness page on the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal.
Readiness Checkpoint Four Completed
On October 5, 2026, the Implementation team facilitated Readiness Checkpoint Four, providing project leadership with a comprehensive assessment of statewide and project readiness ahead of Go-Live. The session reviewed progress across all readiness domains, highlighted behind‑pace items and emerging risks, and outlined key focus areas for October. Organizations will receive a detailed breakdown of their tasks and corresponding progress as part of their September readiness reports. In addition, Implementation Leads will be reaching out to organizations to support completion of any remaining components of their Go‑Live Support Plans, including those that require additional information or have not yet been finalized. This outreach is intended to accelerate readiness and confirm that all required elements are complete prior to Go‑Live.
Note: The Go-Live extension shifted Readiness Checkpoint Four to 60 days before the December 7 Go-Live date. Readiness Checkpoint Five will occur 30 days before Go-Live.
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Training
Desk Guides for CWS-CARES Workarounds are Coming Soon
We have heard the questions and strong interest around the CWS-CARES Version 1 (CARES V1) Go-Live workarounds. The Training Team is developing 82 Desk Guides that will provide approved guidance to support these workarounds. These materials are planned for release soon and will be available prior to Go-Live on the On-Demand Training Library within the CWS-CARES Implementation Portal.
Stay tuned for additional communications once they are published.
Reminder: Probation Instructor-Led Training
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). 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.
Probation ILT continues to run daily through October 20, 2026. 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). Please contact the CWS-CARES Training mailbox for questions.
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CWS-CARES Functionality
CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight: October 12, 2026
This week, the CWS-CARES Functionality Spotlight features the CWS-CARES Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the Week.
October 12, 2026 FAQ of the Week:
Q: Will there be improvements to the search functionality, and what enhancements can users expect?
A: The following Search enhancements were deployed to Production Simulation (Prod Sim, or CARES100) on August 29, 2026:
- The Person and RM (Resource Management) Directory Search now use the “And” operator instead of “Or,” resulting in more precise and narrowed search results.
- In Person Search, the “Sex at Birth” and “Approximate Age” criteria are now fully functional. Phonetic search for first and last names has also been enabled to make it easier to locate the intended individual. Previously reported performance issues, where searches took up to 2 minutes to return results, have been resolved.
- In RM Directory Search, multi-select capability for placement category types is now available.
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.