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New director leads Rape Crisis project A former specialist for a sexual assault program in Crescent City, Calif., has been hired as the new director of Rape Crisis for Jackson County. Tanya Ford, 25, will lead the Community Works program that serves about 100 victims of rape and sexual assault each year. Ford succeeds Chelye Schuetze, who took a position as sexual assault program coordinator for Asante Health System in Medford. Ford's first goals will be to start a support group for victims of sexual assault and to raise awareness about the issue. "The biggest myth about sexual assault is that it's about sex," Ford said. "Sex is just the weapon that is used." Ford worked for two years as a program specialist with the North Coast Crisis Team in Crescent City. Most recently, she worked as a park aide at Jedediah Smith State Park in Northern California. Ford attended an art college in San Francisco. She said she was drawn to Southern Oregon because of the size of the community and to the position because it offered a chance to help people. "Watching people at a real low point get to a high point can be very enlightening," Ford said. Schuetze, who headed the program for two years, was responsible for writing a grant that pays for a full-time Rape Crisis director. The position is vital to expanding services for victims who report crimes -- and for those who don't. "Sexual assault, especially acquaintance rape, is not only under-reported, it's under-identified," Schuetze said. "We come in contact with about 50 new sexual assaults each year and we figure that that's about one-tenth of what's really out there." Rape Crisis staff and volunteers assist victims by accompanying them to medical exams, court appearances and other law enforcement-related appointments; they also offer emotional support and guidance. For information about the program, call Community Works at 779-2393. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA