The main task of vocational rehabilitation facilities is to help people to return to work or, if they have never worked, to find a job for the first time. In the past seven years controversy has surfaced with regard to the role vocational rehabilitation plays in the economy. Some authors have claimed that it implicitly supports an ideology of individualism which actually acts against the interests of people with mental health problems looking for work. While accepting the need to offer a work adjustment service, these writers make a case for further socio-political intervention to help clients. The purpose of this article is to explore some of these ideas and examine their practical implications.