Tia Hollingshead-Styer
Clinical Instructor
Areas of Expertise
- SW 750: Applied Research Methods in Social Work
- SW 733: Social Work Practice Within Organizations and Communities II: Intervention and Evaluation
Highlighted Publications
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Hollingshead-Styer, T. (2022). The development of the Police Department Wellness Survey (PDWS) (Doctoral dissertation, Kutztown University). Social Work Doctoral Dissertations, 22. (Published under former name Tia White.)
DOI/URL: -
Hollingshead-Styer, T. (2020). Public Safety Peer Support Certification: Peer Supporter Foundation Course [Training manual]. Self-published, Hollingshead-Styer, T. (2020). Advanced Peer Support & Holistic Wellness
[Training manual]. Self-published. -
Henley, M., & Hollingshead-Styer, T. (2023). Women in Public Safety: An
Action Plan for Retention in Their Own Words [Manuscript in preparation].
Current Projects
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S.I.T.T. — Strength Informed Trauma Treatment
A clinician-developed trauma treatment model integrating bilateral stimulation techniques within a strengths-based framework, currently in development with the goal of empirical validation and clinical application across first responder and trauma-exposed populations. -
Police Department Wellness Survey, Secondary Data Analysis
Continued research utilizing secondary data collected through the Police Department Wellness Survey (PDWS) to examine organizational wellness patterns and identify systemic factors affecting law enforcement personnel wellbeing. -
Human Services Personnel Safety and Wellness
An applied research and training initiative examining occupational safety, trauma exposure, and wellness outcomes among human services professionals working in high-risk community settings.
Student & Research Availability
- Research or Interest Area Key Words: First responder wellness & mental health Crisis interventionSuicide preventionFirst Responder Peer supportPsychometric instrument developmentSurvey validationHuman services personnel safetyProgram evaluationTrauma-informed clinical practice
Alma Mater
Kutztown University (DSW) University of New England (MSW) Utah Valley University (BS)
Get to Know Tia
Dr. Tia is a Clinical Instructor at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, teaching across the undergraduate and graduate program curriculum.
With a career spanning more than two decades, Dr. Tia brings together direct clinical practice, higher education, and national training development. She holds a Doctor of Social Work from Kutztown University, a Master of Social Work from the University of New England (CSWE accredited), and a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Sciences from Utah Valley University. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in both Kentucky and Utah.
Before joining UK, she served as an Assistant Professor at Utah Valley University, teaching across crisis intervention, research methods, and clinical practice. She developed a DHHS state-certified crisis intervention curriculum and led grant-funded initiatives delivering crisis certification across a broad network of mental and behavioral health community partners; among more than 15 training programs she has developed and delivered nationally.
Dr. Tia has deep clinical and consultative experience with first responder populations. She served as Clinical Director of a law enforcement wellness division, where she partnered with police and fire departments to build organizational wellness programs, develop and deliver peer support training nationally, facilitate critical incident debriefings, and provide direct clinical services to officers and staff. She continues as a Subject Matter Expert with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, providing national training on crisis intervention and suicide prevention for law enforcement. Her clinical training encompasses but is not limited to: EMDR, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Critical Incident Stress Management.
Her scholarly interests center on first responder wellness, crisis intervention pedagogy, and psychometric instrument development. Her doctoral dissertation produced and validated the Police Department Wellness Survey, a tool designed to assess organizational wellness within law enforcement agencies.