Daphne S. Cain, PhD, LCSW
Daphne S. Cain, Ph.D., LCSW, earned a BA in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies from North Carolina State University (NCSU, 1992), an MSW with an emphasis in mental health from East Carolina University (ECU, 1995), and a PhD in Social Work from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK, 2002). Dr. Cain is licensed as a clinical social worker in North Carolina (1997 – current). Her professional clinical experiences include working as a family therapist and adolescent team leader in a residential group home, serving as an adolescent intensive outpatient therapist, working as a PRN therapist for a psychiatric hospital (adults and children), and serving as a marriage and family therapist in private practice.
Dr. Cain has served in higher education for 22 years. Her academic career began in the School of Social Work at LSU (2001 – 2014) where she earned tenure and promotion to Associate Professor and served as the MSW Program Director (2009 – 2012), Interim Dean (2011 – 2012), and Interim Director (2012 – 2014). Dr. Cain served as Chair of the Department of Social Work at the University of Mississippi (2014 – 2018). She was promoted to Full Professor in 2017 and served as the Interim Associate Dean of Research for the School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi (2018). Dr. Cain moved to The University of Alabama in 2018 to serve as the Associate Dean of Administrative Services (2018 – 2022) and served as the Interim Associate Dean of Educational Programs and Student Services (2021 – 2022).
Dr. Cain’s areas of research include disaster social work & disaster mental health and child welfare & child welfare training. She teaches mostly clinical classes including Psychopathology and Differential Diagnosis, Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice, and Marital and Family Treatment in Social Work. She served as the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Best Practices in Mental Health (2018 – 2023) and she is the Alabama Department of Human Resources (ADHR) Title IV-E Principal Investigator (2018 – current).
Dr. Cain is a Professor at The University of Alabama School of Social Work.