Styles can be applied to certain layers and exclude others, if that will help.

I do not have enough experience with what you describe to picture what it would look like. ("Hand Chime Notation" is unfamiliar to me; are you talking about colored notes? That would likely present a problem.)

• Handchime (sometimes called choir chimes) notation is a staff style available when you are writing handbell music.  The only difference is the shape of the notepad.  Handbells use normal notation and hand chime notepads are diamond shaped.  I have handbells layer 1 and hand chimes layer two.  When I select the measure and change the staff style it changes both layers.  Is there a way to change the staff style or note heads of only one layer?

I found the solution.  By using the Special Tools tab I was able to change only the note heads I wanted with out effecting the other layers.

If what you want is to change the noteheads on just one layer, I would choose Document > Show Active Layers Only and then select the entire staff and use Utilities > Change > Noteheads to change at least the solid notes with Special tools to clean up the open noteheads (or vice versa).

Finale has a lot of powerful tools and often has several ways to do something.