URGENT: Unplanned Maintenance and Outage - CWS-CARES Production Simulation (CARES100) - UPDATE

November 6, 2026, UPDATE: CWS-CARES Production Simulation (CARES100) Re-Opened for Access & Search Guidance

To safeguard data confidentiality and system stability, Global Search for broad queries has been temporarily disabled and will return no search results.

Please note the following system behavior currently affecting Global Search:

  1. Attempting to use Global search will return no results and display the system message: “Hmmm… something’s not right.” Please refer to the provided screenshot for the exact message displayed to users.
  1. As a result, users are currently unable to search by Screening ID, Referral ID, or Case ID (from either legacy CWS/CMS or CWS-CARES).

To locate records, staff profiles, and provider resources while Global Search is restricted, please use the following primary search methods:

  1. My Caseload Assignment View: Navigate to CARES -> Home to access direct assignments.
  1. Person Search: Search by Person Profile, then navigate to Related Units of Work. Use specific identifiers (e.g., CWS/CMS Client ID, CARES Person ID, State ID) when possible, to narrow results.
  1. RM Directory Search: Locate facilities, care providers, legal entities, and agency partners by selecting the appropriate RM Directory Type (e.g., Placement, Foster Family Agency, Adoption Agency, Government/Law Enforcement Agency, Regional Center, Education Provider).
  1. Caseload Summary: For Administrators, Supervisors, and Workers with Transfer Authority to view unit assignments.
  1. Worker Search (Staff Profiles): Access the Admin Console page and select Worker Search. Search using criteria such as email address, employee number, first/last name, or user status. This is currently available for administrators.

Action Required

Please share this with all staff impacted by this information. If users experience any lingering access issues or unexpected system behavior, please report them through standard support channels.

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November 5, 2026: URGENT: Unplanned Maintenance and Outage - CWS-CARES Production Simulation (CARES100) – 11/5/2026

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

We are currently experiencing an unexpected outage in the CWS-CARES Production Simulation environment (CARES100).

Urgent unplanned maintenance is being performed by the technical team to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We are actively monitoring the situation and will provide further updates regarding system availability as soon as more information becomes available.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Action Required

Please share this with all staff impacted by this information.

Please contact Customer Relations for 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 September 20, 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.