(a) The court shall appoint a facilitator for the person named in the petition, who shall assist the person named in the petition to do all of the following:
(1) Understand the nature of the proceedings.
(2) Understand the evaluation process required by Section 1955.
(3) Communicate his or her views.
(4) Participate as fully as possible in the proceedings.
(b) All of the following factors shall be considered by the court in appointing a facilitator:
(1) The preference of the person named in the petition.
(2) The proposed facilitator’s personal knowledge of the person named in the petition.
(3) The proposed facilitator’s ability to communicate with the person named in the petition, when that person is nonverbal, has limited verbal skills, or relies on alternative modes of communication.
(4) The proposed facilitator’s knowledge of the developmental disabilities service system.
(c) The petitioner may not be appointed as the facilitator.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)