Dear Collaborative: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question 1:
I’m trying to re-certify, but my previous exam score is showing. Can I override this?
If you have a previous certificate that has not yet expired, your best prior passing  score will always be listed. You can still re-certify by clicking on the course, clicking on the step entitled "Certification Exam", and clicking on the button  that reads "Retake Vignette". 

Question 2:
Do I really need the manual when competing the CANS with Clients & Families?
Yes! The manual describes each item, and some item descriptions may not be aligned with your intuition, so it may be helpful to allow the manual to guide your ratings to ensure consistency. You may not need to review every item on the CANS in the manual with Clients and Families but if you are unsure how to rate some items and collaboratively rating those items with Clients and Families, they should have the same information you have to inform their ratings.
 
Question 3:
I get confused when youth are in foster care. Which caregivers do I rate when they are not living with their biological parent(s)?
The manual instructs us to rate Foster Parents if they are the ones fulfilling the permanency plan, and often we rate those who the youth identifies as their caregivers/family. Luckily, you can individually indicate ratings in the caregiver domain for up to 4 caregivers when multiple people are supporting the youth. 
 
Question 4:
I was certified as a CANS trainer through Praed [completed the training for trainers (T4T) + homework and received a trainer certificate],  but recently I completed my annual CANS recertification and did NOT achieve a score of .80 or higher. Can I still train?
In order to maintain trainer status, you must earn a reliability score of 0.80 or higher on your local TCOM tool annually and this cannot lapse for more than 3 months. The good news is that you can retest if you don't achieve that score the first time! Once you achieve the required reliability score of .80 or above, you can connect with TCOM Support & Assistance ([email protected]) to ensure your trainer information is up to date. 
 
Question 5:
Do I have to have 2s or 3s on my CANS?
2s and 3s on the CANS indicate that there is a need for action in order for the rating to change (and for Needs items, this usually means there is an associated functional impairment related to that item). If there are no areas that need action (no functional impairments), then we should ask ourselves if the client needs our level of services and/or if they may need to be referred to a lower level of care.  Any client with a mental health diagnosis must have some sort of functional impairment to meet criteria for that diagnosis so there should at least be one 2 for an item that aligns with their mental health diagnosis.