The Integrated Assessment program offers comprehensive assessments and integrated case planning activities for children and families entering into protective custody. This process looks at the medical, social, developmental, and educational factors of both the child and adults involved in a case. This draws on perspectives of both the caseworker and screeners to provide a thorough clinical assessment to create more informed decisions regarding service interventions for cases coming into care.

F.A.Q.

Do I need to be certified in the CANS?

It is required to be certified on CANS prior to use. Click here for access to CANS certification on the IDCFS Virtual Training Center.

What version of the CANS do I complete?

CANS 2.0. You can access the CANS 2.0 Manual here.

Who should be scored on the CANS?

The CANS should be completed on each child in the case and every adult in the home providing any level of caregiving or interaction with that child. This could be a temporary caregiver (such as within a safety plan), a babysitter, aunt, girl/boyfriend of a parent in the home, etc.

How often should I complete the CANS?

The CANS should be completed within 45 days of case opening. IA Screeners are tasked with completing the initial CANS for all custody cases.

Do I need my supervisor’s approval before submitting my CANS?

Yes.  Once you have completed scoring a CANS for each youth and the associated caregivers to that youth (biological parents, foster parents, paramours, etc,) in SACWIS.  You need to submit your CANS for approval to your supervisor.  If your supervisor is not able to approve your submitted CANS, you may use the reroute feature and send it to another supervisor for approval. Once you submit the completed CANS, your supervisor may send it back to you for revision and re-submission. Supervisors must approve your submitted CANS. If your supervisor determines your submitted CANS is not an accurate reflection of the needs and strengths of the family, it will be returned to you for editing.

When is my CANS considered complete?

A CANS is consided completed when:

• All child items are scored and
• All caregiver items are scored for each involved caregiver (bioparent, fosterparent) and
• All collaterals have been scored (paramours, significant caregivers)