July 19, 2024
Customer Relations
UPDATE: CWS/CMS Release 9.4, originally scheduled to be implemented on Saturday, July 20, 2024, will be postponed. The new deployment date is still to be determined, and will be shared out once it has been finalized.
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Release 9.4 will be implemented on Saturday, July 20, 2024
The application outage begins on Saturday, July 20, 2024 at 5:00 AM and will most likely complete around 11:00 AM. Users will not be able to access the CWS/CMS application during this period. All application updates will be applied during this outage and should be available once the outage is complete.
Note: Business Objects will be unavailable from approximately 8 AM to 11 AM while the Release 9.4 updates are being applied.
Customer support will be available from the IBM Helpdesk at (800) 428-8268.
Coexistent county CWSCMS.MSI file availability:
The CWSCMS.MSI file was made available on Friday, June 28, 2024 for technical staff to begin testing the installation of the release. The code is located on the CWSDFSr share in the following location:
Dedicated County CWSCMS.MSI file delivery:
By Friday, June 28, 2024, dedicated county users should have started seeing the CWSCMS.MSI file copied to their workstations during Windows logon. Technical staff can verify that they have received the file by checking for its presence in the C:\CACW\R94 folder. This file must exist on the workstation for the installation of Release 9.4 to take place on or after July 20, 2024.
Dedicated County users should do the following on the night before the release:
- Restart (reboot) the workstation and log into Windows (aka the "welcome screen").
- Restart again and do not log into Windows.
- Leave the workstation powered on.
July 19, 2024
Communications
All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
Due to the impact caused by the CrowdStrike update bringing many systems down, the CWDS Executive Leadership Team has decided to postpone the CWS/CMS Release 9.4, originally scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience this postponement may cause; however, it was decided this was the safest decision to avoid complications with the release. This decision will best allow all counties to fully recover from the impact of the major CrowdStrike incident before pushing out the release to CWS/CMS workstations.
The new date for the CWS/CMS Release 9.4 is still to be determined. An update will be sent out as soon as the new release date has been finalized.
Additional updates will be sent out as new information is received.
Action Required
No action regarding CWS/CMS Release 9.4 needed at this time. Release activities are postponed until the release date has been finalized.
July 18, 2024
Communications
All SPOCs, Technical Contacts, and SBC Administrators:
The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled maintenance on Saturday, July 27, 2024, beginning at 6:00 AM and concluding at 10:00 AM. During the maintenance window, CDT will apply Standard Monthly OS Security Patches to SBCS Infrastructure Servers. There is no anticipated outage for this maintenance; however, CDT is asking that everyone log off from the Citrix SBC system, if not actively using it during the maintenance window.
Action Required
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.
July 17, 2024
Communications
ALL SPOCs and TRAINING CONTACTS:
July 17, 2024 Update: This is a reminder that the deadline to register for the R9.5 County Test Workshop (CTW) is Friday, July 26, 2024.
In addition, there is an update. Due to the planned testing of Windows 11 support during CTW, the decision has been made to not use Server Based Computing (SBC) for these testing sessions. Instead, connection to Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) workstations will be used.
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The Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS) Office is requesting county staff to participate in the Release 9.5 County Test Workshop (CTW). Release 9.5 is scheduled for delivery to the counties on December 14, 2024.
The CTW for Release 9.5 will be conducted in a remote setting, via Server Based Computing (SBC) soft tokens.
The deadline to register is: July 26, 2024
The CWDS Office is requesting county staff to participate in the Release 9.5 CTW. Registered testers will participate in the testing of Release 9.5, which is scheduled for delivery to the counties on December 14, 2024. CWDS is seeking a total of 15 county staff members for each of the 12 sessions (2 sessions per day, 9AM - 12PM and 1PM - 4PM) for VB6 testing and 16 sessions (2 sessions per day, 9AM - 12PM and 1PM - 4PM) for C# testing. There will be no testing from 12PM - 1PM each day of CTW.
Remote CTW sessions for VB6 testing will be on the following dates:
Tuesday, August 27, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Wednesday, August 28, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Thursday, August 29, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Thursday, September 5, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Remote CTW sessions for C# testing will be on the following dates:
Monday, October 21, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Thursday, October 24, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Monday, October 28, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Tuesday, October 29, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Thursday, October 31, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Participants are welcome to register for any of the sessions listed above, in half or whole day increments. The sessions will be limited to a maximum of 15 people per session. No exceptions.
We encourage you to submit your request for a specific session as soon as possible, but no later than close of business on July 26, 2024. If a daily count exceeds the maximum count, Customer Relations will work with that tester to be rescheduled to another session.
Please note that all requests must be submitted by the deadline so that the CWDS Office can finalize the needed arrangements. Late registrations cannot be accepted.
A Release 9.5 County Test Workshop Online Registration Form (see link below) for each potential tester must be received as soon as possible, but no later than close of business on July 26, 2024.
Link: Release 9.5 (VB6 and C#) County Test Workshop (CTW) Registration Form
If for any reason, you cannot access the Online Registration Form, please contact Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov.
The CWDS Office will work with the registered participants on all the details of their CTW participation.
SBC Soft Token Use:
Once registration has closed on July 26, 2024, Customer Relations will schedule a WebEx meeting with testers and their County IT Contacts. The purpose of this meeting will be to make sure that your County IT can configure your workstation with the needed software and any other required configurations. If this cannot be accomplished, your registration in this CTW cannot be accommodated.
System Change Requests (SCRs) included:
- SCR 8954 – Service Provider NPI Data Batch Update
- SCR 8960 – Other Child in Home Name Fields
- SCR 8961 – Other Child in Home Name Fields Data Population
- SCR 8964 – Update CWS/CMS User Emails for CARES Readiness
- SCR 8965 – Mandatory CWS/CMS User Emails
- SCR 8970 – Deduplication of Hearing Notebooks
- SCR 8971 – Illogical Client Relationship Correction
- SCR 8990 – R9.5 Training Tools Package
Counties are encouraged to register individuals with knowledge and experience working in the areas mentioned above. A mix of end users with casework or supervisory experience will also be very helpful. Participants will validate the changes in the release and will perform tests of problem fixes and enhancements. Participants will work with other County and State testers as well as vendor support staff.
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact: Customer Relations at CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov.
Your continued support of CWDS is greatly appreciated.
Action Required
Submit a Release 9.5 County Test Workshop Online Registration Form no later than July 26, 2024.
July 16, 2024
Communications
All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
In support of the CWS/CMS Release 9.4 deployment scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2024, from 5:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the CARES-Live application will also not be available during this CWS/CMS scheduled deployment.
Action Required
If users experience any issues with CARES-Live outside of this scheduled outage, 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 Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.
July 10, 2024
Communications
All SPOCs, Training Contacts and Technical Contacts:
Customer Relations is pleased to announce that the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) Guide has been updated to version 3.0. This version has refreshed links to the Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS) website and current information on:
- Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS)
- California Automated Response and Engagement System - Live (CARES-Live)
- Child Welfare Services California Automated Response and Engagement System (CWS-CARES) – In Development
Important Sections of the SPOC Guide:
- SPOC, Customer Relations and Specific County Roles and Responsibilities
- Web Administration
- CWDS Meeting Information
- County Resources – including the following:
- CWDS Website (https://cwds.ca.gov/) resources including:
- CWS/CMS Release Information
- Data Deletion Request (DDR)
- System Change Request (SCR)
- Server Based Computing (SBC)
- CWS-CARES User Resources, including:
- CWS-CARES Users – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- CWDS Glossary
- CWS-CARES Newsletters
- RFA Application Process Release Notes
- County Funding Process (Logon Required)
- Advanced Planning Document
- County Contacts
Action Required
Please review the attached SPOC Guide for information regarding SPOC responsibilities and available CWDS reference materials. The attached guide is also located on the CWDS website under the Stakeholder Resources tab>CWS/CMS Users>CWS/CMS Guides>Website and Web Application Guides>See the SPOC Guide PDF.
July 05, 2024
Customer Relations
The mandatory VB6 version of Release 9.4 will be implemented on Saturday, Saturday, July 20, 2024.
Coexistent county CWSCMS.MSI file availability:
The CWSCMS.MSI file will be available by Friday, June 28, 2024, for technical staff to begin testing the installation of the release. The code will be located on the CWSDFSr share in the following location:
Perform any necessary testing, but do not install countywide before July 20, 2024. The new release will not work with the database until then.
Dedicated County CWSCMS.MSI file delivery:
By Friday, June 28, 2024, dedicated county users should start seeing the CWSCMS.MSI file copied to their workstations during Windows logon. Technical staff can verify that they have received the file by checking for its presence in the C:\CACW\R94 folder. This file must exist on the workstation for the installation of Release R9.4 to take place on or after July 20, 2024.
Release 9.4 documents are located on the CWDS website. More documents will be added as the release go-live date approaches.
June 25, 2024
Communications
All SPOCs and Training Contacts:
The Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS) Office is requesting county staff to participate as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the Release 9.6 Business Needs Analysis (BNAs) meetings and Joint Application Design (JAD) to give feedback on issues. SMEs will participate in Release 9.6 activities, tentatively scheduled to GO LIVE in June 2025.
R9.6 BNAs will be held in mid-July. SMEs will receive an Outlook invitation once all responses are received.
R9.6 JAD has not yet been scheduled, but SMEs will receive an Outlook invitation once a date is selected.
System Change Requests (SCRs) include:
The five (5) SCRs listed below are newly proposed for Release 9.6
- SCR 8982 – Add Missing Name for Placement Homes (Data Quality) (Prioritized #1) - Application Support Contact: James Sidebotham
- SCR 8983 – Adding Missing Name for Non-Foster Case Facility (Data Quality) (Prioritized #2) - Application Support Contact: James Sidebotham
- SCR 8999 – Update Client Dates out-of-range for CARES (Data Quality) (Prioritized #3) - Application Support Contact: James Sidebotham
- SCR 8985 – Make Name Mandatory for Non-Foster Care Facility (Data Quality) (Prioritized #4) - Application Support Contact: Nora O’Hara
- SCR 8989 – Cleanup Outdated Home Studies (Data Quality) (Prioritized #5) – Application Support Contact: James Sidebotham
The SCRs listed below were covered during a previous BNA. A brief meeting will be held to ensure nothing has changed.
- SCR 8843 – Transfer Enrollment between DOE Schools (Data Quality) (Prioritized #6) – Application Support Contact: James Sidebotham
- SCR 8967 – Duplicate Hearing Notebook (Data Quality) (Prioritized #7): Application Support Contact: Nora O’Hara
- SCR 8972 – ACL 22-95 ICWA Mandatory Fields (Data Quality) (Prioritized #8): Application Support Contact: Kim Carpenter
- SCR 8973 – ACL 22-95 ICWA Reminder (Data Quality) (Prioritized #9): Application Support Contact: Gina Blakemore
- SCR 8943 – Expand Merge History Log (Data Quality) (Prioritized #10): Application Support Contact: Kim Carpenter
- SCR 8853 – Validate & Cleanse Collateral Demographic Data (Data Quality) (Prioritized #11) – Application Support Contact: James Sidebotham
- SCR 8852 – Validate & Cleanse Reporter Demographic Data (Data Quality (Prioritized #12) – Application Support Contact: James Sidebotham
Counties are encouraged to register individuals with knowledge and experience working in the areas mentioned above. A mix of end users with casework or supervisory experience will also be very helpful.
Those who volunteer are welcome to register for one or more SCRs. Participants will work with other County and State SMEs as well as vendor support staff. We seek a diverse group of participants from large, medium, and small counties. The CWDS Office will work with SMEs to determine the details of participation. If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact OSI CWDS Application Support via email @ CWS_AppSupport@osi.ca.gov.
Action Required
Staff should submit a Release 9.6 SME Online Registration Form (see link below) for each potential SME.
Link: R9.6 Subject Matter Expert Online Registration Form
The forms should be submitted no later than July 12, 2024.
June 20, 2024
Communications
All SPOCs, Technical Contacts, and SBC Administrators:
May 31, 2024 UPDATE: The California Department of Technology (CDT) has rescheduled this Citrix environment migration from June 8, 2024, to Saturday, June 22, 2024.
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The California Department of Technology (CDT) has scheduled the migration of Server Based Computing Services (SBCS) users to a new Citrix environment. The migration window is scheduled for Saturday, June 8, 2024, beginning at 6:00 AM, and concluding at 2:00 PM.
During the migration window, users connected to the CWS/CMS application via SBCS, either through physical tokens, through ‘soft’ tokens, or through the ‘token-less’ environment used by Probation staff may be kicked out of the application or unable to log in to the SBCS environment. If users are kicked out the SBCS environment, they will need to wait until the maintenance window is completed to sign back in.
Action Required
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.
June 20, 2024
Communications
We are pleased to share the second issue of the CARES Explorer, the newsletter for staying up to date on the CWS-CARES project. This is sent directly to our key stakeholders for project communications: County, Tribe, Probation, and State leadership, CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs), Organization Implementation Coordinators, and specific CWDA staff related to child welfare. This issue provides readers with information on:
- Stakeholders: Discover the ways that organizations are working with the project through the Core Constituent Participation Model overview, county contributions, the Karuk and Yurok tribes, and County Consultants.
- CWS-CARES: This issue highlights the Intake Service Area, the Structured Decision Making (SDM) interface, Single Sign On, External Systems, and Content Management.
- Hidden Gems: Learn more about resources such as the CWS-CARES Stakeholder Briefing, User Feedback, Inquiries, Implementation, Organizational Change Management (OCM) and Training.
We recommend that you share this newsletter with all your staff that are impacted by the changes coming with CWS-CARES. When executives or key staff take the initiative to communicate about CWS-CARES directly, it shows staff that leadership values the project and its impact on child welfare. This fosters a sense of ownership and encourages staff to actively participate in learning about CWS-CARES.
The second issue of the CARES Explorer is now available here: The CARES Explorer - June 2024
You may also obtain all CARES Explorer issues on the CWDS website: CARES Compass/Explorer | Child Welfare Digital Services
If you have any questions, need clarification, or have any accessibility issues, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Relations.
Action Required:
We request that all CARES Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) and Implementation Coordinators coordinate and distribute the CARES Explorer Newsletter to all staff impacted by CWS-CARES at their discretion.
