The BEST IDEA or Multimodal Career Education Model has been proposed as a viable approach for integrating personal and environmental variables in career development programs. An extension of Lazarus' Multimodal Behavior Therapy, the model contains eight factors that make up the acronym: behavior, emotion, self-talk, thought, interpersonal relationships, developmental level, economic and societal factors, and alpha factors. BEST IDEA systematically guides the student, teacher, and counselor through the career development process. As a guide to assessment and intervention it ensures that specific career behavioral needs of individual students are addressed. It includes "assessment rules" that direct individual career development evaluation in a stepwise comprehensive fashion. The aim of assessment is the student's construction of an individualized plan for career development. The student links appropriate intervention strategies with specific needs and enhancing prevention strategies with identified strengths. Interventions include a variety of individual and group activities that may be classified as psychological education, social skills training, and behavioral counseling. Preventive exercises include values clarification, life coping skills training, and other psychological education efforts. Evaluation of outcomes of the model is an ongoing process. Data for as many factors as possible should be secured for comprehensive evaluation. (YLB)