(a) Each client or any representative acting on behalf of any client, who believes that any right to which the client is entitled has been abused, punitively withheld, or improperly or unreasonably denied, may pursue a complaint as provided in this section.

(b) Initial referral of any complaint taken pursuant to this section shall be to the clients' rights advocate responsible for the facility in which such person is a resident or of which such person is a client.

Except for state hospitals, the responsible clients' rights advocate shall be the person assigned such duties by the regional center within whose service catchment area the facility is geographically located.

The clients' rights advocate shall, within ten working days of receiving a complaint, investigate the complaint and send a written proposed resolution to the complainant.

(c) If the complainant expresses dissatisfaction with the action taken or proposed by the clients' rights advocate, the complaint shall be referred, by the clients' rights advocate, within five (5) working days, to the director of the state hospital or of the regional center in whose service catchment area the facility is located.

(d) If the complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant within ten (10) working days by the director of the state hospital or regional center, it shall be referred by that director to the Department of Developmental Services' clients' rights officer, whose responsibility it shall be to make a recommendation to the director of the State Department of Developmental Services for final administrative decision.