�鶹��ý

Psychology alumna, Tamika Lett, Ph.D., CCTP, NCAC II, CSAC, HS-BCP and CEO of T. L. Payne Consulting, LLC was awarded the 2024, 40 under 40 by �鶹��ý’s Alumni Association (�鶹��ýAA). She is at the top of her profession, but through personal tragedies and obstacles she solidified her footing in the field of psychology, criminal justice and human rights. Lett is thankful to �鶹��ý for the various opportunities that were presented to her during her time as a student, and she is humbled to be among the honorees for the distinguished �鶹��ýAA award.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from �鶹��ý in 2007, then in 2010 she earned her Master of Science degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. By 2017, she earned a doctorate in human services with a criminal justice specialization from Walden University. 

Reflecting back on her career thus far, she realizes the importance of choices and embracing opportunities regardless of how intense the surrounding circumstances were stacked. As the founder and owner of a consulting firm that she started in 2014, she focuses mainly on intimate partner violence, education, and training.

“As I continued on throughout the years and received different credentials, I started expanding my services to include trauma informed care and diversity equity and inclusion,” said Lett. “I provide educational training services for the federal government and local and state agencies on policy development surrounding diversity equity inclusion, substance use, mental health, and other areas that impact human services.”

Another part of her career focuses on research. She does curriculum development for various universities in conjunction with research. She now teaches at �鶹��ý, but she’s also part of a coalition that wrote a grant along with �鶹��ý Associate Professor and Interim Dean of the Patricia and Douglas Perry Honors College, Shuntay Tarver, Ph.D., to better understand the opioid overdose epidemic, specifically, looking at Black and brown communities.  

Advocacy is a major factor in her work. “We have a coalition that is going into the community and educating individuals, specifically, black churches and other places that we can reach vulnerable populations to understand opioids and what's out there in the resources for individuals,” said Lett.

“In 2017, I graduated with my doctorate degree, but I also married my husband,” said Lett. Lett’s husband served as a police officer in Newport News for 14 years. “In 2022, my husband passed away from suicide.” Just a few months after his passing, she gave birth to their baby girl. Instead of staying silent, Lett used her loss to help other first responders through speaking engagements and training. 

“I had my first speaking engagement recently, and I was invited by Fairfax County to talk about suicide, trauma, and first responders and mental health,” said Lett.

Her loss is sparking change across the Commonwealth of Virginia. She has deployed peer supporters to Newport News Police precincts to engage and better serve officers mental health.

“My baby and his memory motivate me to keep going to do this work, because it's all about educating and empowering people,” said Lett. “Just one word can make a difference.”

Lett leans on her faith for everything. Also, she knows the power of self-care, counseling and resiliency. “I tell people all the time that counseling is important for you because brushing things under the rug or keeping things hidden, ‘what happens in this house stays in his house’ doesn’t work anymore,” said Lett.

Previously, she has worked to help people with substance abuse, counseling for women and case management. She has been a clinical supervisor over the men's and women's jail-based services substance use program through the Community Services Board.

“In 2014, there used to be a program that the state had in regard to intimate partner violence, and I started doing trainings in the community,” said Lett. That work led her to pursue her doctorate in human services, and that led her to start her consulting firm. “I was able to work with those found not guilty by reason of insanity, jail-based populations and still provide those services, and now I'm on the other end, and I do a lot of grant writing and proposal things for the Department of Justice,” said Lett. “Things have come full circle for me, but I’m still working with that vulnerable population and providing service and advocacy.”

Her passion for working with at-risk individuals and being able to support them on a different level of care is at the epicenter of her work.

Lett’s biggest inspiration for the work she’s doing was her grandmother. “My grandma worked at Eastern State Hospital, and she talked a lot about mental health,” said Lett. “And so, I said, ‘okay, I want to work in a mental health field and be a forensic psychologist.’” She initially wanted to study serial killers. “I thought it was just very interesting, and I just listened to my grandma’s stories from Eastern State working with individuals found not guilty by reason of insanity,” said Lett. “I said, ‘this is what I want to do.’” 

Because of her grandmother’s influence she pursued psychology at �鶹��ý, and she added a second major, criminal justice, as well. As a Monarch, during her undergraduate years, she interned at Navy Marine Corps Release Society and women in crisis shelter through the YWCA. 

She didn’t become a forensic psychologist, but she’s become much more through her advocacy, equitable and integral work. The choices she made after graduating directly impacted future opportunities.   

After she graduated from �鶹��ý, she realized that she didn't want to stay in psychology. “I said, ‘I never wanted to get my doctorate degree,’” said Lett. She took some time off and worked at a local human services agency doing intensive in-home care for a year.

Then she took on a position at the Community Services Board in Hampton. “Eventually I ended up going to University of Cincinnati to get my master’s in criminal justice,” said Lett. “I got into the accelerated program, so I finished in a year,” said Lett. She continued to work at the Community Services Board in Hampton, specifically in the Healthy Families program. “Ironically, I moved over to Project Link program and started working with individuals not guilty by reason of insanity,” said Lett.

She has seen and counseled hundreds of inmates and substance abuse users. However, she can recall how one woman completely transformed her life over the last nine years when given a chance to do so. “She had gotten in trouble and went to jail, so I advocated for her to the judge. I said, ‘I've had conversations with her, and I see so much in her, and she could do so much if y'all just give her a chance.’” The judge agreed and released her to Lett. The judge said, “if anything happens it’s on you.”

“I remember picking her up, and I was so nervous because while I did believe that she was a great person, I knew she was a wildcard, but I took her to the treatment center,” said Lett. Her advocacy work paid off. The woman got clean and stayed clean. “Every year in July, she calls me to say, ‘this is our anniversary of getting clean,’” said Lett. The woman now has a full-time job. Also, she has mended relationships with her children and bought a home.

“It's stories like that that make it really worth the work I do, and if you can just get one of her, that's amazing,” said Lett.  

Lett’s advice to anyone who is thinking of coming to �鶹��ý is this, “embrace the opportunities.” “You have to be engaged and do the work, and I think it’s a wealth of knowledge that students can get from these top-level educators who travel and do research around the world,” said Lett. “Learn from them and be able to go out and do the work and be passionate about what you have learned and what you plan on doing with your life or your career.”   

When asked about being honored as an outstanding alumnus she said, “It feels good because I'm alongside a lot of people who are doing some great things. To have the opportunity to highlight the work that fellow Monarchs are making in the community is amazing to be a part of. It’s wonderful to know that �鶹��ý is producing impactful graduates in the world around us.”