

About
Lydia Sheehey, MBA
Founder of Simplify the Journey LLC
Andover, MA
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 an extensive network of parents and professionals and is continuously connecting with the most up-to-date information regarding financial benefits, supports, and services. 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.
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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 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 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 earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and earned an MBA in Finance from New York University Stern School of Business. After the culmination of a 29 year career at MetLife in New York/New Jersey, she moved to Massachusetts in 2017. She used this move as an opportunity to focus on her family and to develop an expertise in financial benefits for the disabled and the Massachusetts Adult Special Needs System. She is now helping other families with all that she has learned and continues to learn.
