Lydia Sheehey, MBA

Lydia Sheehey lives in Andover, Massachusetts with her husband Brian. They are the proud parents of four adult children. Two of their adult children have autism and receive numerous financial benefits, supports, and services. When Lydia and her family moved to Massachusetts from New Jersey in 2017, she had to resecure financial benefits, supports, and services in Massachusetts for her then transition age children after having had done it successfully in New Jersey. Now as young adults they are thriving and taking advantage of so much that is available to them in the Massachusetts Adult Special Needs System.

 

Lydia has a comprehensive network of parents and professionals and is continuously connecting with the most up-to-date information regarding financial benefits, supports, and services. Lydia completed three days of extensive training in both 2024 and 2025 with Work Without Limits covering SSI, SSDI, public health insurance, and other public benefits. She also completed six hours of training with the Institute for Community Inclusion in 2026 - "Combining Work and Benefits - Massachusetts". Tap into her expertise so that you can maximize financial benefits and navigate the system of supports and services for your loved one.

 

Lydia is a Board Member of the Department of Developmental Service's (DDS) Merrimack Valley Citizens Advisory Board advising the DDS area director on community needs and the quality of programs for the disabled population. She also volunteers as a financial coach and speaker with Women's Money Matters, an organization that builds the financial wellness, confidence, and security of women living on low incomes through a unique program that combines instructional workshops and one-to-one coaching.

​

She previously served on the Greater Haverhill-Newburyport Family Support Advisory Council advising Family Support Center staff on the planning, implementation, and evaluation of supports and services and also previously served on UMass Chan Medical School's Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) Advisory Board providing feedback on the accessibility and quality of Pre-ETS services, the supports students need, and opportunities to expand and improve Pre-ETS services. Lastly, she formerly volunteered at SISU, a youth development program in Lawrence, MA, advising on financial benefits, housing, and adult services for the most proven-risk young adults in the area.

 

Lydia holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MBA in Finance from NYU Stern School of Business. After a 29 year career at MetLife, she moved to Massachusetts in 2017 and redirected her professional focus to educating, guiding, and coaching families with young adults with disabilities. She is honored to help many families with all that she has learned and continues to learn.