If you don't use focus as your assist, and want to reserve it for CC purposes, you've got two main choices:

1.) Use the [target=party1target] functionality and always assist the party leader. You can change the party leader if someone dies, but it's not as graceful as the /focus route.
2.) Hard code in a [target=YourCharacterName-target] functionality. Disadvantage is you're screwed if that person dies.

If you think there's another option, let everyone know, because we'd ALL be interested!