This technical assistance manual describes school-based outreach strategies that involve parents in preparing youth with special needs for postschool jobs and independence. A model of preventive education is featured which stresses that postschool problems of unemployment and community adjustment can be anticipated and can, therefore, be treated during the high school years. The key to the model is making existing school programs more effective through meaningful parent involvement and increased family support. The manual is designed to train staff of Wisconsin Local Education Agency districts who are responsible for providing vocational education services and to guide the development of model school-based family outreach programs. Individual chapters focus on the need for family involvement, program need and development, program screening and referral, program assessment and implementation, and an agenda for the future. Each chapter has seven parts: section overview, key words, problem scenarios, literature review, findings from Wisconsin research activities, preventive education model, and exercises. Appendixes contain a glossary, a list of approximately 80 references, and descriptions of five relevant tests. (JDD)