This season, I’ve been reflecting on the Loteria card La Rosa (The Rose). At first glance, it represents beauty, love, tenderness, and growth. But we can’t forget that every rose has its thorns.
 
La Rosa (The Rose) feels especially meaningful in our CANS and TCOM work. We are constantly asked to hold complexity. To see strengths and needs at the same time. To notice what is blooming while also tending to what is sharp, guarded, or hurting.
 
In many of the children and families we work with, the “thorns” often show up first. A youth may present with anger, withdrawal, defiance, or hypervigilance. A caregiver may appear disengaged, overwhelmed, or resistant. But if we pause and look more closely, those thorns are rarely random. They are protective. They formed for a reason.

​With youth or caregivers, you might ask:

• What feels like it’s blooming in your life right now?
• What strengths are growing, even if they’re small?
• Where do you feel prickly or overprotective?
• What do your “thorns” protect?

In Supervision, La Rosa (The Rose) can guide reflective conversations:

• Are we seeing only the thorns in this case?
• Where is the beauty that may be harder to notice?
• How are we honoring both resilience and pain in our ratings?

 
In team meetings, this metaphor can help reframe difficult behaviors. Instead of asking, “Why are they acting this way?” we might ask, “What has this thorn been protecting?”
 
This shift aligns deeply with the TCOM principles: understanding context, centering the person’s story, and using shared language to drive meaningful care planning.

Growth Takes Tending
Roses don’t bloom without care. They need water, sunlight, pruning, and protection. Healing works the same way.
 
When we identify actionable needs in the CANS, we’re not labeling a family; we’re identifying where tending is needed. When we identify strengths, we’re naming the blossoms that can be nurtured.
 
La Rosa (The Rose) also reminds us that growth is seasonal. There are times of blooming, and times that feel dormant. That doesn’t mean growth has stopped; it may simply be happening underground.
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Looking Ahead
As we move forward into this next season, I invite you to carry La Rosa (The Rose) into your work.
 
Notice the blossoms. Honor the thorns. Tend to what needs care. And remember that even in the most complex cases, something is always growing.

​Spanish TCOM and CANS Manuals
One of the most important features of the site is access to Spanish-language manuals, including Praed Foundation framework materials and tools such as the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool.
 
Having the manual available in Spanish supports:

• More accurate translations of concepts during supervision and team meetings.
• Stronger engagement with Spanish-speaking caregivers.
• Greater confidence among bilingual providers implementing the tool.

 
Language matters, especially when discussing needs, strengths, trauma, and resilience.
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​Metaphors can make TCOM Understandable
Another highlight of Hablemos TCOM is its collection of metaphors and explanatory tools designed to make TCOM and CANS concepts easier to discuss with families.
 
TCOM is not “just an assessment.” It’s a communication tool, a shared decision-making framework, and a way to tell a child or family’s story in a structured, collaborative way. Metaphors can shift the narrative from:

• “Scoring a child” → to “Understanding what helps them thrive.”
• “Checking boxes” → to “Mapping the path forward together.”

 
These kinds of tools are especially helpful when introducing TCOM in culturally responsive ways, honoring families’ lived experiences, and reducing defensiveness or fear in the early stages of information-gathering.
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Why This Matters
For Spanish-speaking families navigating complex systems, language access can either be a bridge or a barrier. A site like Hablemos TCOM reinforces a core value of TCOM itself: shared understanding.
 
When we can explain needs and strengths clearly, in someone’s primary language, we increase collaboration, trust, and meaningful engagement.
 
If you supervise bilingual clinicians, work in community-based settings, or partner with Spanish-speaking caregivers, this site is worth bookmarking and sharing.
 
Let’s keep building systems where communication truly connects.

If you have a hankering for more insight into the philosophical underpinnings of the CANS, are curious about the use of the CANS across the US and worldwide, or just want to expand the usefulness of the CANS in your own practice with youth and families there is a resource for you!

The TCOM Channel on YouTube is full of short, informative videos and even recordings of presentations from the annual CANS Conferences. This includes some real gems to deepen your understanding about all things CANS, from what really is “masking” (the Masking Principle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTQiBPz6mUo), to cultural considerations in using the CANS (Culture Conversations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g-PWFhacVM), to integrating the CANS with Motivational Interviewing (Motivational Interviewing with Children & Families https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nip2dLsQdOs).

Q1: Where can I get the manuals and rating sheets in English and the County’s threshold languages?

A1: The Birth-24 manuals and rating sheets have been translated into the county’s threshold languages. (Please visit Manuals & Scoresheets - ALAMEDA TCOM COLLABORATIVE) to access these documents, which are downloadable in MS Word. At this time, the IP-CANS manual is only in English, but the rating sheets have been translated into Spanish. The County is working to get the IP-CANS and rating sheets translated into the county’s threshold languages. Stay tuned. 
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Q2: Why can’t I create an assessment in Objective Arts?

A2: There can be multiple reasons you may not be able to create an assessment in OA. For example: Missing/Expired/Invalid Certification. Check to see that your CANS certification is “Valid.” If your certification has expired, please recertify as soon as possible.

When a certification expires, that user account is deactivated by the Praed Foundation after 90 days. If you need assistance to reset their password or reactivate the account, they may contact Praed support at [email protected]. 
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Q3: Is there a way to print ONLY the IP-CANS questions? 

A3: In Objective Arts, you can select a new print option from the drop-down on the lower left corner of the screen. You can select print and “IP-CANS Scoresheet”. Please print “IP-CANS Scoresheet” if a placing Agency (Probation or Child Welfare) requests a copy of the CANS. See the screenshot below:

​Q4: Did you miss the new ACBHD memo regarding Indirect Note Updates in Clinician’s Gateway: ​

A4: The Indirect Note template was updated to work the same way as an individual (direct) note template, where a user selects a client first and then a program. In addition, logic was added to allow a user to finalize and transfer an Indirect Note to SmartCare using the AAA/Indirect Client, but retain the actual Client Identification in Clinician’s Gateway for medical record continuity.
 
The memo was sent out via email on March 10, 2026. For questions about this memo, please contact Information Systems Support, [email protected].
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