Marissa Eyanson

Marissa Eyanson serves as the Director of the Division of Behavioral Health for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services linking together Iowa’s State Mental Health Authority (SMHA), Single State Authority (SSA) for Substance Abuse, and the State’s work related to Tobacco Use, Prevention and Control.

From her first job as a direct support professional to her work in Medicaid managed care Marissa has been focused on the intersections between behavioral health supports, network capacity building, and improving individual outcomes for highly complex individuals. She brings a unique ability to pivot perspectives from provider to payer to regulator.

Marissa has worked with the Iowa Department of Human Services since 2018. Prior to stepping into her current role, she served as the policy director for Iowa Medicaid, where she led program management and policy development across the full spectrum of Iowa’s Medicaid program. Throughout her career, Marissa has focused on leveraging systems and teams to achieve high quality outcomes. She has led improvements in organizational structure, managed programs, and developed policy by building strong partnerships, articulating clear vision and aligning to purpose. She is committed to building successful teams and to strengthening relationships that will improve systems and services that ensure that all individuals and families have an opportunity to succeed.

Marissa is a life-long small-town Iowan and graduate of Iowa State University. She and her husband have two children and enjoy time spent with family, their pets, and travelling.