DCS talks to Michelle Reiter and Nena Horton about the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment or as we refer to it the CANS assessment. Michell Reiter serves as a program director that has a focus on formal and informal assessments. Nena Horton serves a senior mental health consultant with Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Both Ms. Reiter and Ms. Horton are experts as they have worked as CANS consultants and trainers for many years in child welfare. The CANS is a tool that is used nation wide in children’s service agencies to support decision making about the direction a family may go in their experiences with the child welfare system. The CANS helps our agency to make decisions about where a child is placed and what services they need if they come into foster care.